The U.S. Senate is currently in the process of considering amendments to the Democrat-sponsored “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” as part of a rare weekend voting marathon.
The chamber’s majority party is utilizing the budget reconciliation process to move the bill through legislative hurdles, which would allow Democrats to pass the bill without having to reach the standard 60-vote threshold.
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa), vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Sunday introduced an amendment of his own in an effort to increase domestic energy output and lower infrastructure costs.
According to Shelby’s Senate office, the amendment would require the U.S. Department of the Interior secretary to complete pending metallurgical and thermal coal lease applications.
In a statement announcing his amendment, Shelby asserted that expediting the issuance of pending coal leases would serve to stimulate economic activity as recent growth decline indicates that the nation is experiencing a recession.
“Following the second straight quarter of decline in our economy, the Biden Administration should prioritize initiatives that lower infrastructure costs and increase domestic energy development – and one way to do that is to expeditiously issue pending coal leases to applicants,” advised Shelby in a release. “We cannot continue to block the mining of our own essential energy sources and building materials.”
The Biden administration has instituted a pause on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Lease by Application Program for all federal coal leases.
Shelby concluded, “The American people are hurting, and it’s our responsibility to help. My amendment will increase energy production, support thousands of jobs, and alleviate the effects of record-high inflation. I urge my Senate colleagues to stand with our coal miners by voting in favor of this amendment.”
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) recently struck a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), which provides Democrats with the votes needed to pass the sweeping climate and health care bill.
Despite Republicans’ objections to the bill, Democrats are expected to pass the legislation with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote in an evenly divided upper chamber.
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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