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By Timothy Cama | 06/11/2026 06:22 AM EDT
A top Democrat said Wednesday he wanted to see more movement on renewable energy approvals. A White House official didn’t appear willing to budge.
Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) speaks with POLITICO’s Debra Kahn at POLITICO’s Energy Summit on Wednesday in Washington. Craig Hudson for POLITICO
Top lawmakers working on permitting reform in Congress expressed optimism Wednesday about some form of legislation getting across the finish line this year, but a White House official was cool to key Democratic asks as part of the process.
Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the leaders of the Environment and Public Works Committee, are looking to clinch a deal this summer with other top lawmakers.
But during the POLITICO Energy Summit in Washington, Capito and Whitehouse discussed the challenge of negotiating as President Donald Trump continues to express deep hostility to renewable energy projects and his administration slow-walks approvals.
“It becomes very challenging for me to take even a very good bill to my caucus and say, ‘We should trust this administration for two-some more years with this good bill, and that they will faithfully execute it,’” Whitehouse said.
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