Kaine Statement on Vote to Exempt the Mountain Valley Pipeline from Normal Permitting Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine issued the following statement ahead of today’s Senate vote to proceed to a House bill that will be amended to become a continuing budget resolution funding the government through mid-December. The text of the continuing resolution was released at midnight last night and contains a provision exempting the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) from normal permitting processes, eliminating judicial review of key elements of the project, and stripping jurisdiction over any future litigation regarding the MVP away from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  

“I strongly oppose the Mountain Valley Pipeline provision of this legislation, which would greenlight this pipeline without normal administrative and judicial review and ignore the voices of Virginians. The pipeline runs through Virginia for 100 miles and takes property from landowners, but I was not consulted as a deal was struck to approve it and thus not given an opportunity to share my constituents’ deep concerns. 

“The proposal is an effort by an energy consortium to rewrite rules of administrative and judicial process just for MVP because it is unhappy with the rulings of a single court. If the MVP owners are unhappy with a court ruling, they should do what other litigants do and appeal. Allowing them to fundamentally change federal law to achieve their goal would surely encourage other wealthy people and companies to try the same. I won’t participate in opening that door to abuse and even corruption.

“I will vote against the motion to proceed to this deal and urge my colleagues to do the same. We should pass a continuing resolution that is free of the unprecedented and dangerous MVP deal.” 

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