White House seeks to pressure Democrats to move faster on permitting reform deal

The White House is pressing Senate Democrats to finalize a permitting reform deal soon, warning that concessions offered to speed up energy and infrastructure project approvals could expire before the post-election lame-duck session. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said Thursday a deal could pass during the lame duck, but a White House official said in an email that Democrats should not assume the administration will "freeze these concessions" until then, calling the bipartisan offer one Democrats had "refused to take yes for an answer" on, according to The Hill · Daily Caller.

The push comes ahead of midterm elections in which Republicans are expected to lose seats amid high fuel prices and rising disapproval of President Trump, and a completed deal could give the administration a win to tout to voters.

Whitehouse said waiting until after the election makes sense given that the House is unlikely to return beforehand and that Senate procedural timelines conflict with senators' desire to campaign. Permitting reform has long stalled over Democrats seeking support for renewable power and the electric grid versus Republicans favoring fossil fuels and reduced environmental reviews, tensions heightened by the Trump administration's efforts to hinder renewable projects. Whitehouse said the emerging deal includes improved treatment for wind and solar, though some assurances still need clarification. He said negotiators are "over the hump on the deal-breaker issues" and that bill text could be finalized within "days, maybe even hours," allowing the Senate to begin considering it.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Hill · Daily Caller’s reporting. Read the full story at The Hill · Daily Caller →