A congressional delegation is urging the Supreme Court of the United States to reauthorize a natural gas pipeline that was shut down by a lower court ruling.
GOP Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) is leading the effort to have a 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decision overturned. That decision shut down construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline which would run from West Virginia to southern Virginia.
In a statement to Fox News, Reschenthaler said "The Fourth Circuit judges are not supreme rulers and lawful orders issued by the legislative and executive branches must be followed. Congress was well within its power to restart the Mountain Valley Pipeline construction and usher in a new era of energy independence for the region."
Notably, this delegation has the support of Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) who is eager to see more jobs and prosperity for his constituents from the pipeline.
By all accounts, the pipeline was shut down due to judicial activism and an environmentalist agenda that places ideology over American prosperity and energy independence.
Reschenthaler stated, "Instead of halting the pipeline, I urge the Supreme Court to plug up the ludicrous activism seeping out of the lower court so American families can enjoy lower energy costs, substantial land royalties, and most importantly – law and order in America."
What is worse is the 4th Circuit Court shut construction down despite the recent fast tracking of permits by President Joe Biden's Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline has both Congressional and Presidential authorization and yet the 4th Circuit Court took it upon themselves to stand in the way of a rare windfall for regular Americans.
The delegation stated in their Supreme Court brief that, "Congress acted within its authority. It also acted sensibly and with bipartisan support. The Fourth Circuit, however, simply disregarded the law. Worse, the court did so without opinion or any articulated rationale. If this is to be a republic of laws and not of men, a recurring three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit cannot be permitted to override the clear will of the people. Intervention is imperative."
The pipeline is currently 94% complete and this charade by the 4th Circuit Court is wasting money and resources. The question is what will the Supreme Court do about this situation.
If the Supreme Court does agree to hear this case, it seems likely that they will rule in favor of finishing the pipeline.
The conservative majority on the Supreme Court has been consistent in its rulings when it comes to Constitutional procedure. As the Mountain Valley Pipeline has the necessary authorization from Congress, this case is likely going to be open and shut.
The pipeline is expected to create $40 million in new tax revenue for West Virginia, $10 million in new tax revenue for Virginia and up to $250 million in royalties for West Virginia landowners.
However, Americans should not expect a favorable decision without a major fight with environmental groups. If we have learned anything in the past few decades, its that radical environmentalists will do everything in their power to stop America's energy sector at the cost of our quality of life.
