Manchin’s Gas Pipeline Enjoys Rare Legal Protection in Debt Deal

A powerful senator inserted language into a must-pass bill approving an Appalachian project in his home state that faced adverse legal rulings in recent months. Then, a Democratic president reluctantly signed the bill, fearing a lengthy battle over one project would sink his broader agenda.

The debt limit negotiations playing out in Washington this week over approval of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline, backed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), are set to follow a roadmap established more than 30 years ago.

Tennessee’s Tellico Dam faced decades of opposition from local residents, and even a US Supreme Court ruling ...