Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Sens. Joe Manchin and John Barrasso and Rep. Bruce Westerman met Thursday morning with 17 Congressional Western Caucus members to talk through a path to passing a permitting package.
Why it matters: The meeting is another sign that discussions continue toward reaching a bipartisan deal before the end of the year amid a lobbying frenzy.
- "The fact that we're having this meeting is a big deal," Rep. Celeste Maloy told Axios outside the House conference room as members headed to the final votes of the week.
- Asked if there's a path to lame duck passage, Maloy said: "They just laid out a path — so yeah, I can see one. I don't know if we'll get there or not, but we're much more likely to get there when we all agree on what we want."
The talks got another shot in the arm Thursday as the Blue Dog Coalition of moderate House Democrats pressed congressional leaders for a bipartisan lame duck deal.
- The letter effectively counters some of the concerns Democrats are hearing from environmental groups criticizing the bill's fossil fuel leasing provisions.
- "To fulfill the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act, a permitting system must be in place that provides certainty for developers of renewable and traditional energy sources alike," the coalition wrote in the letter, obtained exclusively by Axios.
Between the lines: The calculation for Republicans is whether they can get a better deal in the next session after a GOP sweep of Congress.
