The Biden administration is willing to pressure some fellow Democratic lawmakers to support the permit bill. Last year Senators Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and Jeff Merkeley said Manchin's bill gave away too much to fossil fuel interests.
Podesta said permitting reform, an issue he told Reuters "keeps him up at night," is needed to ensure that the U.S. can speed up the construction of high-voltage transmission across the country that is needed in order for companies to take advantage of the tax credits.Landrieu and Podesta said the IRA and the 2021 infrastructure bill created a growing demand for skilled workers.
He said despite a huge initial request for workforce training in the infrastructure bill, only $800 million was approved. He said the White House has been pulling in the Department of Labor, business executives, labor unions, and technical and community colleges to fill the new workforce needs.