Post by
no1coalking on Mar 06, 2008 8:02pm
Consider the Politic''s:
ENERGY POLICY: Renewable credit backers look for 60th vote after budget path blocked (03/06/2008)
Alex Kaplun, E&E Daily reporter
The decision by Democratic leaders to not move renewable energy tax credits through the budget reconciliation process likely means that the prospects for the package once again hinge on the ability of Senate Democrats to corral an additional vote.
House and Senate Democrats yesterday unveiled budget bills that essentially contain place holders for a multibillion dollar tax package that extends incentives for renewable energies such as wind and solar and repeals some tax breaks for oil companies. But the Senate version does not include any reconciliation instructions that could be used as a vehicle to move the tax package through the chamber without having to overcome a filibuster.
Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) told reporters earlier in the day that reconciliation instructions were not in the bill because they did not have enough Senate support.
On the House side, the budget blueprint would give the Ways and Means Committee latitude to move a reconciliation bill, but it is unlikely that it will be used to move the energy tax package.
"At this time we are not looking to reconciliation to advance energy tax legislation," a committee spokesman said.
With both chambers eliminating the possibility of action on the tax incentives through the budget process, it means the most likely path for the package is another attempt by Senate Democratic leaders to find the single vote that they apparently need to move the legislation. The energy tax package has failed twice to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary for cloture in the Senate by the narrowest of margins -- once as a stand-alone measure on the energy bill and once a broader package of Democratic priorities on the economic stimulus package.
The House last month again approved the roughly $18 billion energy tax package that would extend renewable energy and energy conservation tax credits, and offset the cost by repealing billions of dollars worth of tax breaks for major oil companies.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters last week that he will try to move the package sometime in the near future and believed that it was still possible for Democrats to find the needed votes.
A Senate Democratic leadership aide said the House bill will come to the floor sometime after the Easter recess, though at this point it was unclear in exactly what form or if there were enough votes.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said yesterday there has not been any substantial movement on the bill.
With the legislation seemingly stalled in the Senate, lobbyists say one potential way to move the bill forward is by finding offsets for the renewable incentives other than repeal of oil company tax breaks, though it appears unclear at this point if key lawmakers are willing to go along with such a plan.
"I think anything is possible; I can't tell you whether that is going to happen," Bingaman said yesterday when asked about such a strategy.
Earmark ban rejected
The House Budget Committee yesterday approved its budget blueprint after beating back a series of GOP amendments -- most notably one seeking to put a moratorium on all earmarks.
After a lengthy debate, the panel defeated in a 16-21 party-line vote an amendment from Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) that would have put a moratorium on any fiscal 2009 earmarks and created a bipartisan committee to propose changes to the congressional spending process.
Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the White House seized on the vote, criticizing the Democrats for failing to follow through on reforms that they promised when they came into power.
"The failure of this amendment signals that Democrats support business as usual in Washington," said White House Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Nussle. "It is a missed opportunity."
All told, the House budget sets discretionary spending for fiscal 2009 at $1.015 trillion -- about $24 billion more than the White House request. Democrats said those extra dollars will help them scale back some of the cuts that President Bush has proposed to U.S. EPA and various environmental quality programs.
But the White House has already threatened to veto any spending bill that exceeds the president's level.
The Senate Budget Committee started its markup yesterday afternoon and is expected to report out a bill later today. Both the House and Senate could take up the legislation next week.
Katherine Ling contributed to this story.