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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Seth Gladstone, sgladstone@fwwatch.org

Biden Mustn't Cave to Bad Actor Manchin on Dangerous Fossil Fuel Projects

Reporting indicates that the Biden administration, in the hopes of winning over Senator Joe Manchin on support for a budget reconciliation spending bill, is considering approving several highly controversial fossil fuel projects, including the Mountain Valley Pipeline, new LNG export facilities, and new drilling/fracking projects in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico and other federal lands and waters.

In response, Food & Water Watch Managing Director of Policy Mitch Jones issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON

Reporting indicates that the Biden administration, in the hopes of winning over Senator Joe Manchin on support for a budget reconciliation spending bill, is considering approving several highly controversial fossil fuel projects, including the Mountain Valley Pipeline, new LNG export facilities, and new drilling/fracking projects in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico and other federal lands and waters.

In response, Food & Water Watch Managing Director of Policy Mitch Jones issued the following statement:

"The fact that President Biden, who came to office with a pledge to halt new fossil fuel development on public lands and waters, would even consider approving dangerous new drilling, fracking and pipeline construction at this perilous time for our climate future is alarming. The science is clear: To maintain reasonable hope of achieving a livable planet for future generations, we must halt new fossil fuel development now. Modest tax breaks for cleaner energy technologies simply won't do the job by themselves.

"There is abundant evidence that incentivizing cleaner energy technology while also advancing new dirty energy projects does not reduce climate pollution. This has been the strategy over the past decade, and it has been an abysmal failure.

"The fact that Biden is considering a preemptive give-away to Sen. Manchin is even more alarming. Manchin has proven time and time again to be a bad actor at the negotiating table. There is no reason to believe he has any intention of making any sort of deal on clean energy - even the very modest one the administration is proposing.

"Years ago the Obama administration foolishly encouraged the lifting of a ban on crude oil exports, causing a spike in drilling, fracking and climate pollution for a temporary extension of modest clean energy tax credits. Biden must not make the same dangerous mistake."

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people's health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

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