A spokesperson for Hakeem Jeffries stated that the House Democrat will not support the Senate’s permitting legislation in its current form, citing a failure to adequately protect tribal sovereignty and issues with how National Environmental Policy Act reform was handled. Jeffries is calling for more input from the House before the bid for speaker, who is slated for leadership elections on Nov 18, reaches a final vote. The stance follows pressure from influential members of the Democratic caucus who had urged the candidate to fast-track the energy-cost reducing reforms during the current congressional lame duck period.

The policy clash occurs as Jeffries continues to secure his path to the speakership, recently receiving the endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. However, he faces opposition from outside activists, including a petition urging Democrats to reject his candidacy that has collected more than 500,000 signatures.