In what could mark a major turning point in the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s (MVP) arduous permitting journey, Congress is set to legislate approval of the project’s perpetually contested permits as part of an agreement to raise the debt ceiling.

The Biden administration over the Memorial Day weekend announced a bipartisan budget agreement reached with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Republicans to raise the debt ceiling.

A draft debt ceiling bill in the House, dubbed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA), declares completion of the embattled MVP as “required in the national interest.” 

The proposed legislation would see Congress approve “all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements and any...