Even Democrat Joe Manchin Is Urging President Biden to Reconsider Keystone Pipeline XL Decision

In one of his very first actions as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, West Virginia Senator (and SHOULD be Biden ally) Joe Manchin is asking the President to rethink his executive order obliterating the Keystone Pipeline XL permit (and the thousands of jobs that go along with it).

“I am writing today to express my support of responsible energy infrastructure development, including of oil and natural gas pipelines. Pipelines continue to be the safest mode to transport our oil and natural gas resources and they support thousands of high-paying, American union jobs. To that end, I encourage you to reconsider your decision to revoke the cross-border permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and take into account the potential impacts of any further action to safety, jobs, and energy security,” Chairman Manchin wrote in part.

Can it be a good sign when less than 30 days into your presidency you’ve already lost the support of a vital ally, who just happens to chair a key energy committee? Well, when White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked specifically about the 11,000 jobs lost by this stroke of the President’s pen, she quipped that she’s waiting on the media to provide “that data” regarding her boss’s own green job plans. Solid start guys.

A couple of other highlights from this week sure to get you all TEA’d up:

Do As I Say, Not As I Do: A slew of wannabe eco-warrior celebrities have signed a letter begging President Biden to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline for good. Those celebrities, certainly well-versed in the oil and gas industry, who lent their names to the letter include Alyssa Milano, Leonardo DiCaprio, Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Jason Momoa, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Marisa Tomei, Joaquin Phoenix, Jane Fonda, Don Cheadle, Ed Helms, Cher, Chelsea Handler, Ava DuVernay and Amy Schumer. So to the thousands of hardworking Americans who will see their well-paying jobs disappear and the struggling middle-income families who can expect their utility bills to skyrocket: don’t worry, these out of touch Hollywood elites are looking out for you…from the tiny windows of their private jets.

Gathered from the Granite State: Governor Tom Wolf is seeking a severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling… AGAIN. Don’t worry, Pennsylvania Republicans, who have blocked this measure multiple times in the past, fired back calling the proposal “riddled with bad economic ideas.” But you gotta hand it to Governor Wolf for being able to accomplish one thing; the proposal is so bad that opposition to the tax has bipartisan support. And here we thought reaching across the aisle was a thing of the past!

Peachy Keen: Georgia Lawmakers are considering legislation that would put a stop to those trying to ban natural gas. Several other states including Arizona, Oklahoma, and Tennessee have already enacted similar laws after some cities banned new gas hookups citing climate change concerns. Currently, there are no cities in Georgia attempting to do just that, but some Georgia state reps don’t want to see their state all California’d up. As you might imagine, plenty of environmental groups are urging lawmakers to reject the bill and let cities mandate what kind of stove Georgians get to have in their own kitchens.