WASHINGTON POST • August 19, 2023
By the end of last year, the West Virginia Democrat had become deeply displeased with how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was helping the Biden administration advance its aggressive climate goals. Manchin, a staunch ally of fossil fuel interests, was particularly critical of the agency’s efforts to write regulations that more fully consider climate impact when it reviews new natural gas infrastructure. So he blocked the reappointment of the chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and has vowed to oppose appointments to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department. Biden and his aides are trying to agree to Manchin’s demands where they can, while still advancing a climate agenda that the senator strongly opposes – even though his vote last year made it possible in the first place.