Give U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., credit — they are certainly trying to get their fellow senators to find a way to pass energy project permitting reform.

But try as they might, they haven’t been able to bridge the gap, as other lawmakers seem to spend their time looking for reasons to be against the most logical approach to energy production to both spur the economy and increase their country’s energy independence and national security.

Manchin is making yet another pitch, calling for his fellow senators to add permitting reform to the National Defense Authorization Act, which must be approved.

The House declined to include Manchin’s plan in the NDAA that members passed overwhelmingly, 350-80.

After that vote, Manchin took to Twitter to voice his frustration.

“As our energy security becomes more threatened every day, Americans are demanding Congress put politics aside and act on common-sense solutions to solve the issues facing us,” Manchin said. “The Senate must vote to amend the NDAA to ensure the comprehensive, bipartisan permitting reform our country desperately needs is included.”

Late on Tuesday, Manchin posted a statement warning there would “long-term consequences” for the nation’s energy independence if permitting reform is not enacted.

“The American people will pay the steepest price for Washington once again failing to put common-sense policy ahead of toxic tribal politics,” Manchin said. “This is why the American people hate politics in Washington.”

Capito talked about permitting reform, including Manchin’s efforts, during her virtual press briefing Thursday.

“I’m for permitting reform. I’m for a good permitting reform bill,” she said. “Unfortunately, this bill has a tortured past but also a tortured present. There are many, many Democrats who reject this and some Republicans who feel that it actually doesn’t improve, but in some ways harms.”

While attempting to complete the Mountain Valley Pipeline is a part of the permitting reform effort, it is not the only part. The reform also includes permitting that affects the development of green energy, as well as the transportation of electricity — generated by all forms of resources — across the grid.

Calling the fact that the Mountain Valley Pipeline has been tied up in court challenges over federal and state regulations a “major disappointment,” Capito said she will continue to try to foster common-sense legislation along with Manchin, despite what she calls the efforts of “anti-pipeline” Democrats.

“It makes no sense — no sense at all — to not move forward and use our own energy resources as safely and in an environmentally legitimate way,” she said.

“They are sinking the possibility,” she said. “Sen. Manchin and I have tried. He’s tried on his own, and I’ve tried on my own, to put this into all kinds of different bills with no success.”

As Manchin noted, it isn’t too late. The Senate must take up the NDAA this week before recessing for the holidays. Senators could amend the NDAA with Manchin’s proposal or try to hammer out an even better compromise.

With the holidays quickly approaching, we’d like to be optimistic and think lawmakers would want to give Americans a worthy gift.

But it is likely that too many lawmakers are caught up in the illogical thinking that the United States can be powered by green energy alone — and soon.

And there are some who just want to push any further discussion on permitting reform to the new year.

The American people deserve better. Manchin and Capito have provided a clear pathway forward to better permitting regulations that will ensure the country’s power grid remains strong — and along with it our national security.

It is well past time that our lawmakers act to ensure those elements of our domestic and foreign policies.