Christmas in July
Posted July 10, 2009 at 7:48 am 
Filed in: “We’ll be in until Christmas.”
-Senator Barbara Boxer
Not a phrase anyone who toils in Washington would ever want to hear, but not one that comes as a shock this year. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) vocalized what many have said all along: the challenges facing the Congress this session are not going to be resolved on usual sine die timing (although in the past 15 years, when have they ever?).
Unlike several previous years, the Senate Appropriations process seems to be moving in a timely fashion and many believe the Committee will have all 12 appropriations bills passed before they adjourn for the August Recess. Passing numerous continuing resolutions does not seem to be in the cards this fall. However, climate change and energy legislation will be the cogs in the wheel.
As many expected, Majority Leader Harry Reid this week pushed back his deadline for the six Senate committees working on the climate bill from September 18 to September 28. Immediately after his announcement, Senator Barbara Boxer, Chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said she was pushing her committee’s work on the bill from this month until September as well. It is anticipated that these deadlines will continue to be pushed back, especially since getting to 60 votes means compromises that will make President Obama and the United States look weak in Copenhagen in December. Conventional wisdom still points to the committees continuing to work on climate legislation until Copenhagen is over.
There is also debate over whether climate policy will be combined with energy or energy with climate. If it’s an energy bill with a large climate piece, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, will manage the bill and the task of wrangling 60 votes. If it’s a climate bill with an energy piece, Senator Boxer is slated be the bill manager. Senator Reid (D-NV) is going to have to think this one through very carefully, as one of the two is as likely to get a few “no” votes without even looking at the text of the bill.
Also of interest this week was the press conference held by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) with T. Boone Pickens. Senator Reid was supposed to also be in attendance but was tied up meeting with the White House, according to Senator Menendez. The press conference was to unveil the Senate version of the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2009 or the NAT GAS Act. The purpose of the legislation, which has not formally been introduced as of this time, is to move our transportation fleet – starting with heavy-duty trucks – to natural gas. While mostly made up of tax breaks, the legislation depends on the development of an “American” resource – natural gas. Oddly, Senator Menendez has voted against almost every piece of legislation that expands natural gas production in the U.S. In fact, Senator Menendez had very harsh words during the debate in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Senator Dorgan’s amendment to open the Eastern Gulf to production and even harsher words about opening the Destin Dome area. Based on MMS mean estimates, the Eastern Gulf contains 3.9 billion barrels of oil and 21.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and a confirmed discovery in Destin Dome contains enough natural gas to supply 1 million households for 30 years. It would fuel the vehicles Senator Menendez is proposing for numerous years, as well.
Senator Menendez, and his colleague from Florida, Senator Bill Nelson, don’t see the irony in demanding the fuel for their constituents and this nation, while refusing to allow us to develop it. This means that if and when the Senate energy legislation is made part of the climate bill and the discussion turns to domestic supply, the debate should be a lively one. We can only hope that the facts are laid out and common sense prevails. That would be a surprising Christmas present to us all.
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