From the Inbox: NRDC's Legislative Watch 6/29/2010

June 29, 2010 The Senate continues to make progress in finding a path forward on climate and energy legislation and in addressing the Gulf Coast oil spill. Although this week is expected to be busy with oil spill-related legislation, some of the dates below could change due to Sen. Byrd's (D-WV) death on 6/28. Next week Congress will recess for the July 4th holiday. Climate and Energy On 6/29 President Obama will host a bipartisan group of senators to discuss the path forward on climate and energy legislation. President Obama's meeting is his second this year with more than a dozen senators on the subject, and the roster appears to largely mirror those who were invited to discuss the issue with him in March. Sens. Alexander (R-TN), Baucus (D-MT), Begich (D-AK), Bingaman (D-NM), Boxer (D-CA), Brown (D-OH), Cantwell (D-WA), Carper (D-DE), Collins (R-ME), Dorgan (D-ND), Graham (R-SC), Gregg (R-NH), Kerry (D-MA), Lieberman (I-CT), Lincoln (D-AR), Lugar (R-IN), Merkley (D-OR), Murkowski (R-AK), Nelson (D-FL), Snowe (R-ME), Stabenow (D-MI), Reid (D-NV), Rockefeller (D-WV), and Voinovich (R-OH) have been invited. On 6/17 Senate Democrats held a special caucus meeting on climate and energy legislation. Sens. Kerry (D-MA), Lieberman (I-CT), Bingaman (D-NM), and Cantwell (D-WA) presented details of their proposals to reduce carbon pollution and promote the transition to a clean energy future. The session was continued on 6/24, and that meeting was described by senators who attended as "inspirational," "powerful" and even "thrilling." Twenty of the 21 speakers indicated their support for a comprehensive climate bill that includes polluters-pay provisions. On 6/24, the Senate failed for the third time to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to end debate on a tax package (H.R. 4213) that would extend expired energy tax credits and raise the oil spill liability tax. Sen. Nelson (NE) was the only Democrat to vote against closing the debate. The legislation would have added about $33 billion to the deficit by extending unemployment benefits for six months. The cost of the added unemployment insurance was not offset by other tax increases or spending cuts. The tax extenders package in its present form does not extend several tax credits for dirty energy, including one for liquid coal and another for a costly subsidy to conventional corn ethanol. The House passed its version of the bill in late May. Before this week's vote, Sen. Reid indicated he would move on to a small business tax relief bill if the Senate failed to end debate on the tax extenders package for a third time, and that he would not include any provisions from H.R. 4213 in the small business legislation. Gulf Coast Oil Spill On 6/21 Sen. Bingaman and Sen. Murkowski introduced the Outer Continental Shelf Reform Act (S. 3516) to reform the system for approving offshore oil and gas activity. On 6/24 the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the bill as well as three others related to offshore oil and gas development, S. 3431, S. 3497, and S. 3509. S. 3431 is sponsored by Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) and aims to improve the administration of the Minerals Management Service. Sen. Brown (R-MA) introduced S. 3497 to require those seeking federal permits for oil and gas development to prove they could contain a leak. Sen. Udall (D-CO) introduced S. 3509 to fund research and development on technologies to make oil and gas development safer and less environmentally damaging. The bills are expected to be rolled into a larger Senate package that would come to the floor in July. The House also continued to hold hearings on Gulf Coast spill topics, including deepwater drilling technology, research and development; oil spill worker-safety issues; and oil spill response planning. On 6/24 the House Judiciary Committee passed the Securing Protections for the Injured from Limitations on Liability Act (H.R. 5503) by a vote of 16-11. Two Republicans, Reps. Lungren (CA) and Rooney (FL) joined the Democratic committee members in voting for the bill. Sponsored by House Judiciary Committee chair Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Melancon (D-LA), the bill would make it easier for the survivors of those killed in explosions like the one on the Deepwater Horizon to sue and to collect more for their loss, would make it more difficult for companies involved in oil spills to withhold information from the public, and would prevent companies from using bankruptcy to escape payments due under the Oil Pollution Act. The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on 6/30, to hear testimony on an amendment in the form of a substitute for H.R. 3534, the Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources Act, which would restructure the administration of offshore and onshore drilling, and install new safety and inspection reforms of offshore drilling. Sponsored by Rep. Rahall (D-WV), the bill would also fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and direct 10 percent of offshore drilling revenues to a new Ocean Resources Conservation and Assistance Fund. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will also hold a hearing on 6/30 on a discussion draft of the Blowout Prevention Act, which would require increased federal oversight of blowout preventer technologies and oil spill response and containment responsibilities. The House approved an amendment by Rep. Kucinich (D-OH) to bar companies with leases on the outer continental shelf from spending funds on federal elections as part of the "DISCLOSE Act" (H.R. 5175), a campaign finance reform bill that the House passed, 219-206, on 6/24. Democratic leaders in the Senate have indicated they intend to pass the bill in the next several months.