The GOP leader is pushing his members to block the West Virginia senator's energy permitting bill, the latest loop in their roller-coaster relationship.

McConnell is urging Senate Republicans to vote no on advancing Manchin’s permitting reform legislation as part of a government funding package, according to three people familiar with the effort.

The GOP leader is whipping his members to vote against advancing an effort on Tuesday that would eventually combine a short-term government funding package with the energy permitting legislation.

The permitting reform piece did not fit in Democrats’ party-line legislation, so Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed to bring it to a vote later as a condition of Manchin’s support for the broader bill.

Shelley Moore Capito’s (R-W.Va.) version of permitting legislation or else “it would appear the senior senator from West Virginia traded his vote on a massive liberal boondoggle in exchange for nothing.”.

McConnell and other Republicans say that Manchin’s bill is not strong enough to actually move the Biden administration on permitting.

“If [Manchin’s] Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022 was the horrific bill Leader McConnell claims it is, he wouldn’t have to work so hard to whip his conference against it,” said a Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Manchin has said he believes this is the best chance to pass an effort Republicans have talked about for years, but did not execute when they had unified control of government.

Since, Republicans have unsuccessfully sought to get Manchin to join their conference, though the moderate has declined and maintained his affiliation with the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, a growing chorus of Senate liberals is pushing Schumer to separate the energy permitting package from the stopgap spending bill, while Sen.

Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he’ll reject the temporary funding patch outright if the permitting provisions are included

Kaine stopped short of saying he would reject the government funding bill if it includes Manchin’s package, however