U.S. House Sacrifices Appalachia for No Reason

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a debt ceiling deal known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which would fast track the Mountain Valley Pipeline and gut bedrock environmental regulations. Senator Kaine plans to put forth an amendment to remove the Mountain Valley Pipeline provisions from the Fiscal Responsibility Act. This is how the frontlines of the MVP responded.

Dr. Crystal Cavalier Keck, founder of 7 Directions of Service responded:

“In this so-called ‘American democracy’, the people are playing a losing game with our elected representatives. When we get one up towards protecting our health and our planet, they change the rules again to work in favor of the corporate predators that threaten our lives. Our demand for a clean debt ceiling is not just about protecting our communities from the fatal threats of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. It’s about fighting for the democratic processes we’ve all been promised, and that we deserve. I find it disappointing that Democrats would shift blame onto Republicans for these horrendous, criminal negotiations, when they are equally complicit in selling out frontline communities. For now, we will redirect our efforts to the Senate. A legislative loss is not a victory lost.”

Grace Tuttle, advocacy director of the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights Coalition (POWHR) responded: 

“For almost a decade we have fought the Mountain Valley Pipeline, only to be discarded as a sacrifice zone by the U.S. House of Representatives. This decision is an insult to Appalachian communities and the future of everyone in this country. To all the Congress members who voted against this Dirty Deal, thank you. To those who voted for the Mountain Valley Pipeline and against environmental laws and working class people, the impacts of this bill will be devastating. We implore the Senate to support Senator Kaine’s amendment to remove the MVP and to pass a clean debt ceiling bill.” 

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