With the help of Oriana Pawlyk
– Sen. Joe Manchin says Sen. Christmas cinema must support party-line legislation on energy, taxes, deficit reduction and health care.
— Home progressives who have long complained about Manch are now eager to get whatever he and the Senate Democratic caucus can pass.
— TSA says it has not relaxed screening protocols for PreCheck passengers after a whistleblower said the TSA “lowered security guidelines” for PreCheck passengers with medical equipment and x-ray luggage.
IT’S MONDAY: You’re reading Morning Transportation, your Washington politics guide to everything that moves. As always, send in tips, speeches, reviews and lyrics [email protected]. You can find us all on Twitter: @alextdaugherty, @TSnyderDC AND @Oriana0214.
“Well, I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona/ Such a beautiful sight to behold/ There’s a girl, my God, in a Ford flatbed/ Pulling out to see me”
HARD SELL: Manchin (DW.Va.) was all over Sunday’s shows, making the case for his $700 billion deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, which includes roughly $50 billion in transportation-related spending. Manchin was repeatedly asked about Sinema, who remains the biggest obstacle to passing a Democrat-only spending bill ahead of the midterm elections.
“Kyrsten Sinema is a friend of mine and we work very closely together. She has a tremendous, tremendous contribution to this legislation,” Manchin said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “She basically insisted [on] no tax increase, [we’ve] done it. And she was very, very adamant about that, I agree with her.”
hermit: Manchin said he did not inform Sinema or anyone else in the Democratic Caucus of his negotiations because of the very real possibility they would fall apart, Burgess Everett reports. Manchin said on CNN that when Sinema “looks at the bill and sees the whole spectrum of what we’re doing and all the energy we’re bringing in, all the price reductions and fighting inflation by lowering prices, having more energy, hopefully it will will be positive about it.”
I HAVE LEVERAGEManchin was also asked about a separate deal he negotiated with Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding the regulation of federal permits for energy projects such as pipelines and transmission lines. Details are not known at this point, but a separate bill requiring 60 votes, rather than the simple majority needed for the spending bill, would streamline the authorization process. That’s likely to upset some environmentalists, but Schumer told reporters Friday “there are some types of permits that also hinder clean energy.”
BRB DELETE SOME TWEETSJordain Carney and Sarah Ferris report that House progressives, who have often criticized Manchin over the past year for changing his public statements on a reconciliation package, are now eager to get whatever he and the group democratic Senate can pass. If Democrats succeed in passing the bill, it will give them a chance to trumpet action on several long-standing campaign promises — taxes, the climate and drug prices — in the months before a potentially brutal November election.
“It’s not the full Build Back Better bill. But it is a significant investment. … It’s a step forward. It would be an important victory and it’s the president’s agenda and the Democratic agenda,” said Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), whose members quickly rallied behind the Senate deal.
FIRST IN MT: A group of nine Republican senators, all of whom voted for the infrastructure bill, sent a letter to FHWA Deputy Administrator Stephanie Pollack arguing that the FHWA’s proposed rule to force states to track carbon dioxide emissions on the road and set targets to reduce emissions is “burdensome. , and potentially illegal.”
“This proposed rule falls outside the scope and congressional intent of the bipartisan IIJA,” wrote the senators, led by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.). “Furthermore, implementing the calculation and tracking of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is unduly burdensome for DOTs and state MPOs. For these reasons, we urge you to withdraw this proposed rule.”
DHS v. Special Prosecutor: The TSA released its response to the US Office of Special Counsel on Friday, arguing that the agency follows strict screening protocols for its PreCheck passengers. The TSA was investigated following complaints from former whistleblowers who alleged that the TSA was not using the technologies available to them to fully screen PreCheck passengers, potentially jeopardizing the safety of the traveling public. DHS OIG investigated complaints from an individual, who was not publicly named, dating back to 2018. The individual said TSA “reduced security guidelines for passengers with medical devices and for X-ray screening of baggage in pre-screening lanes.” , among other inconsistencies.
“DHS determined in 2019 that TSA’s actions did not constitute gross misconduct or a substantial and specific risk to public safety,” TSA said in its July 29 response to the Special Counsel. In a letter to the White House, the Special Counsel last week said he found DHS’s determination “does not seem reasonable.”
Given the Special Counsel’s stance on the matter, the matter may see further action from the Biden administration. The TSA stands by its approach, saying it “spends more of its resources on standard screening lanes than on TSA PreCheck lanes,” the agency said. “This approach is consistent with TSA’s core mission, its technology deployment, multiple layers of security, and its risk- and intelligence-based security screening approach.”
SAF BILOUT?: NATSO, the trade association representing fuel retailers, called on lawmakers to oppose the climate bill passed by Manchin because it provides a tax credit of up to $1.75 per gallon for sustainable aviation fuel. NATSO characterized the tax credit as “another boon for the airline industry, just two years after their most recent billion-dollar bailout.” Instead, NATSO wants parity between the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit and any sustainable aviation fuel tax credit.
“This legislation aims to create a tax scheme for clean ‘technology neutral’ fuels, which fuel retailers have long supported. Favorable treatment for the SAF flies in the face of this approach,” said David Fialkov, NATSO’s executive vice president for government affairs.
The American Council of Engineering Companies, the American Public Works Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers are partnering for a national road show to shine a light on infrastructure projects and the work of engineers and public works professionals across the country.
— “FAA clears Boeing 787 inspection schedule, delivery resume.” Aviation Week.
— “Air taxis keep crashing, bursting into flames in test phase.” Bloomberg.
— “Amtrak’s return to Burlington took vision and nearly 30 years of work.” Burlington Free Press.
– “How far can you go by train in 5 hours?” ChronoTrains.
— “Automakers expect auto sales to defy economic gloom.” Wall Street Journal.
“JPMorgan is building a giant travel agency.” Wall Street Journal.
— “A toxic culture and ‘race to the bottom’: Pilots open up about why air travel is in chaos.” CNBC.
— “Elon Musk’s moves turn owners and potential buyers against Tesla”. Bloomberg.
— “Democrats open to Manchin’s push to allow reforms.” POLITICO’s E&E News.
