Cantwell in February. Photo: Anna Rose Layden/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Sen. Maria Cantwell's hydropermitting packagedidn't get a vote in Energy and Natural Resources like we expected, but its author isn't concerned.
Why it matters: Cantwell says she "never assumed" it would be marked up today and there's still work being done behind the scenes to get it through committee.
Details: The former top Democrat on Energy told Axios she's still in discussions with chairman Joe Manchin to get him on board with a markup.
"We're been adding Republicans to the bill," she said with one hand on an exit door from the Capitol. "We wanted to make sure all that happened."
The big picture: Cantwell is bullish on her bill's odds because it brings together disparate sides of the debate over hydro that have undermined dam upgrades and pump storage projects nationwide.
"It has a lot of support — a coalition of people," she said.
Of note: The committee did report out the Mining Schools Act, as we previewed for you last week.
