Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement urging his Senate colleagues to support the inclusion of bipartisan, comprehensive permitting reform as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“There has never been a more critical time in our nation’s history for Congress to act to protect American energy security and reclaim energy independence. I cannot go home and explain to West Virginians why the Senate would fail to support creating new energy jobs, producing more energy, and enhancing American energy security quickly. I struggle to understand how any of my colleagues could in good conscious consider voting against bipartisan, comprehensive energy permitting reform that benefits all types of energy as the American people continue to demand Congress put politics aside and act on commonsense solutions to solve the issues facing us. We have one such viable solution before us and I urge each of my colleagues to vote to ensure that this permitting reform legislation our country desperately needs is included in NDAA,” said Chairman Manchin.