What Manchin Got for Backing Democrats’ Climate Bill (Podcast)

Joe Manchin, the West Virginian who represents the crucial 50th Democratic vote in the Senate, surprised Washington last week with a dramatic about-face. Just weeks after rejecting his party’s climate legislation, he reversed course and announced he’d reached a deal with Democratic leaders to send a climate bill to the president’s desk.

_{Listen here and subscribe to Parts Per Billion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Megaphone, or Audible.}

However, it later became clear that, in exchange for his support, Democrats granted Manchin numerous pro-fossil fuel provisions, including a measure that would essentially force the Biden administration to open up more federal lands for oil and gas drilling.

On this week’s episode of our environmental policy podcast, Parts Per Billion, Bloomberg Law reporter Bobby Magill joins us to break down the legislative horse trading that led to Manchin’s reversal and also about whether environmental activists can stomach the latest additions to the bill.

Bobby also talks about his recent reporting on abandoned oil and gas wells and why federal funding to remediate them is falling far short of what’s needed.

Do you have feedback on this episode of Parts Per Billion? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.