NO VOTE ON NO-ENERGY BILL

Senate Democrats punt on spill bill
Coral Davenport, August 3, 2010 (Politico)

"Senate Democrats…punted their oil spill response bill to next month, but the extra time doesn’t guarantee the measure will pass — far from it…The delay virtually ensures that strategists from both parties will use the congressional recess to hone their plans, talking points and poison-pill amendments…with an eye toward the midterm elections.

"Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to pull the plug on offshore drilling is the latest blow to Democratic efforts to move energy legislation, beginning with the deaths of a sweeping climate change bill and then a scaled-down renewable energy bill…[I]t became evident over the past week that the Nevada Democrat lacked the votes within his own caucus to force the issue as the Republicans held firm against it."

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"Some Democrats and environmentalists said they are optimistic the extra time will allow them to revisit the broader renewable energy provisions…But lobbyists and staffers close to the energy bill process said that, if anything, the partisan dynamics that led Reid to pull the bill this week will only get worse the closer lawmakers come to the midterm elections…

"Central to the offshore drilling reform bill was a title to eliminate the $75 million liability cap on damages oil companies must pay in the case of spills and other disasters…The deeply partisan atmosphere in the Senate ensured that there would be no opportunity to amend the bill with a scaled-down, compromise liability title…"

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"Staffers close to the Republican leadership said that if the bill had been left open for amendments, Republicans would have hijacked the debate with amendments designed to prolong partisan arguments and revive GOP attacks on the broader Democratic energy initiatives, including cap-and-trade climate legislation. Many said Republicans’ desire to use the energy debate to put Democrats on the spot on those issues closer to elections will prevail next month as well…

"Both sides blamed the deadlock on partisan politics…Republicans said Reid failed to approach the spill bill on a bipartisan basis…Environmentalists slammed the chamber for failing to act…Oil industry representatives said they are indeed celebrating…The House passed its spill response bill last week, 209-193."