Senate leaders have sidelined a major spending bill in an apparent bid to stop a proposed moratorium on EPA climate change rules…
Senate Democrats have decided to ‘pull’ from consideration, the ’10-’11 interior, EPA spending bill, after Republicans planned to offer a 1-year freeze on EPA rules for stationary emitters of greenhouse gases.
AFBF’s Rick Krause says majority leader Harry Reid will likely still keep his promise to allow floor debate on a 2-year freeze by Democrat Jay Rockefeller…but Krause says a committee vote was much riskier for Reid….
“I think Senator Reid is opposed and senate leadership is opposed to the moratorium. And there…we think that, although we can’t directly tie it, we believe there’s a good chance that the bill was pulled from the markup because the bill had a very good chance of passing.”
Reid’s spokesman said in an e-mail, he’d have no comment.
The amendment planned by Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski had the support of several committee Democrats, risking a defeat for Reid if it came to a vote.
So why allow Rockefeller a floor vote on his 2-year freeze on EPA climate rules?....
“Senator Reid’s promise to Senator Rockefeller to give him a vote on his bill was done in an effort to try to siphon votes away from the Murkowski resolution that would have stopped EPA in it’s tracks.”
And her earlier resolution to undo key EPA climate gas rulemaking authority--plus Krause says it’s much easier to defeat Rockefeller on the floor, than Murkowski’s freeze in committee, due to Democrats’ larger margin on the floor.
But Krause argues Reid does not want any moratorium - Republican or Democrat - on EPA climate rules….
“I think that leadership in the senate does not….would oppose any moratorium on regulations of stationary sources. I don’t….they would oppose it, they…I don’t think that they would want to have this bill that is being…that was introduced by a democrat pass and then be vetoed by the president.”
Separately, the House joined the Senate Wednesday to reauthorize mandatory livestock price reporting set to lapse September 30th. The senate acted last month to extend packer price, contract and supply and demand reporting requirements for cattle, hogs and sheep.
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