Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) slammed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard Glick, a Biden appointee, during remarks late last week over stalled pipeline permits which come as Americans are experiencing surging energy costs.
Manchin, who is the Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, “called the full FERC commission, including Chairman Richard Glick, before the committee to question the regulators over their policy decisions while pressing them to allow certain stalled projects to move forward,” Fox News reported. “Glick, speaking at the CERAWeek by S&P Global energy conference Thursday, defended his agency’s decision to withhold permits. He said some of the pipeline delays Manchin lamented at the Senate hearing were due to FERC’s efforts to ensure projects were done ‘right the first time.'”
Manchin slammed Glick when asked about Glick’s remarks by a Fox News reporter, saying, “Well, speak up and help us Mr. Chairman Glick.”
“Speak up and help us rather than let them go down to the court process [inaudible], you know, only thing I can tell you as governor and I at EPA, I told my people I said, if you work with a cease and desist order before you try to help someone do something right and tell them what they’re doing wrong, shame on you,” Manchin continued. “Shame on all of you. We partner with Interior, FERC if they could, can we at least give them the consistency of what we think and what we know? Because we’ve been down this road before, but they’re throwing so many more obstacles, you’re way outside his wheelhouse, and he knows how I feel about that.”
The reporter noted that Glick had raised concerns about pushing things too quickly, to which Manchin immediately fired back: “I’m not saying push them quickly. Just do your damn job. That’s all I told him.”
WATCH:
'DO YOUR DAMN JOB': Dem senator has fiery message for Biden appointee over stalled pipelines. https://t.co/qpPsRb4C6y pic.twitter.com/8FjKMiXLHv
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 12, 2022
TRANSCRIPT:
REPORTER: Senator, hi, Tyler Olson with Fox News. Chairman Glick was here yesterday, you had a hearing with him last week and he said that some of the pipeline’s delays that you were discussing in that hearing were due to their efforts to make sure things are done right the first time and to prevent–
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): Well speak up and help us Mr. Chairman Glick. Speak up and help us rather than let them go down to the court process [inaudible], you know, only thing I can tell you as governor and I at EPA, I told my people I said, if you work with a cease and desist order before you try to help someone do something right and tell them what they’re doing wrong, shame on you. Shame on all of you. We partner with Interior, FERC if they could, can we at least give them the consistency of what we think and what we know? Because we’ve been down this road before, but they’re throwing so many more obstacles, you’re way outside his wheelhouse, and he knows how I feel about that.
REPORTER: Now, he raised concerns that if you push things through too quickly, they’ll end up getting–
MANCHIN: I’m not saying push them quickly. Just do your damn job. That’s all I told him.