Manchin Likely Just Put an End to Big Climate Bills

It's still technically possible for Congress to pass President Joe Biden's climate policy agenda sometime this year. But most people on Capitol Hill, including some Democrats, say Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) just essentially delivered a death blow to this agenda last week. Though Democratic leadership already scaled down their climate legislation earlier this year to accommodate him, Manchin announced he couldn't support even this more modest package, citing this month's high inflation numbers. It's still possible Congress could send something to Biden's desk after it returns from its August recess. But Ari Natter, who covers energy on Capitol Hill for Bloomberg News, says Manchin's move likely closes the window on ambitious climate legislation for the rest of this year—and possibly for the rest of Biden's term. Ari joins us to explain why on our environmental policy podcast, Parts Per Billion. Do you have feedback on this episode of On The Merits? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.