by Mary O’Driscoll, June 7, 2005
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) today said the energy bill will hit the Senate floor Monday for an anticipated two-week debate that could be complete by the Fourth of July recess.
The accelerated schedule means tomorrow’s Environment and Public Works Committee markup of the nuclear energy provisions is likely to move quickly. EPW Committee members have reserved four amendments – two dealing with Homeland Security grants and one each on nuclear plant sirens and vulnerability assessment — but they are not likely to be included in the bill.
The Finance Committee’s markup of the tax package — which could go as high as $11 billion over five years — will take place while the energy bill is on the Senate floor. Grassley is trying to keep the bill limited to the $11 billion figure but is taking into consideration attempts to amend the measure, a spokeswoman said.
It remains unclear whether differences between Domenici and EPW Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) on the energy bill’s ethanol provisions will delay the bill. Inhofe has notified Domenici that the energy committee’s approval of an 8 million gallon market for ethanol by 2012 could slow the process because the environment committee, which traditionally has jurisdiction over ethanol issues, months ago approved a bill calling for a 6 million gallon market.
An EPW Committee spokesman confirmed that Inhofe has placed a hold on the energy bill but only until the dispute with Domenici gets resolved. Inhofe hopes to clear up any problems over ethanol as soon as possible. “We’re holding it while we’re working on it,” the spokesman said.
For his part, Domenici told reporters today that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has agreed to give him two weeks of floor debate starting Monday night.
“I have a commitment that we will get on it and stay on it,” Domenici said. Last session, Frist broke up floor debate on bills that took more than a few days at a time.
Besides the anticipated debates on climate change, renewable portfolio standards and corporate average fuel economy standards, it is unclear what other amendments will be offered to the energy bill. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) is in the process of drafting a refined version of her amendment that would give individual states the ability to choose whether they want oil and gas drilling in their offshore waters, while Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is working to modify her amendment regarding siting of liquefied natural gas import terminals. Feinstein wants to give the federal government and states concurrent siting authority, and affected state governors would be allowed to participate in the process.
Loading...