See also: GOP plots polluter strategy with energy lobbyists in Daily Kos

GOP staff, energy lobby in talks
By: Darren Goode and Robin Bravender
January 20, 2011 04:32 AM EST

Top staff members for key House and Senate Republicans met in a closed-door session Tuesday with energy industry interests to work on strategy to handcuff the Obama administration’s climate change agenda.

With the backing of GOP caucus leaders, aides for House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) are seeking unwavering support from a host of industries for an all-out push to block federal and state climate rules.

“The feedback we got was ‘hey, great, go for it guys,’” one Republican aide told POLITICO. “And we pretty strongly told them we do need your help to get this done. And when we walked away from the meeting the feeling was we got that.”

The roster of those attending the invitation-only gathering is being kept under lock and key, though it is believed to include the American Petroleum Institute, National Mining Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and others.
The Edison Electric Institute – the main trade association of investor-owned electric utilities who worked on efforts last Congress to do a broad energy and climate proposal – was not at the meeting, nor was the American Public Power Association. EEI – which represents utilities from the cleanest to dirtiest across the board – has not taken a position on delaying or trumping the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate regulations.

EPA this month began regulating major emitters of greenhouse gases, including power plants and refineries.

Upton is looking to introduce a bill as soon as next week blocking EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, with hearings in his panel next month and a bill brought to the House floor by late February or in March. Addressing EPA’s climate rules was the top energy issue in Upton’s policy agenda released this week.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) – a member of the Senate GOP leadership – is looking to introduce a bill next week that will be broader than Upton’s and based on a plan offered last year by now-retired Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) preempting all federal agencies from regulating greenhouse gases outside of Congress passing a climate change measure. That would include blocking greenhouse gas regulations not just under the Clean Air Act, but also under the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. His plan also would stop states from regulating greenhouse gases, as well as public nuisance litigation related to climate change.

Most Senate Republicans think the sweeping repeal of EPA authority is the best approach, a Senate aide said, and they’re confident they can get broad Democratic support.

“There’s anywhere from 12 to 15 Democrats that we are eying that we think would have an interest in supporting a bill like this,” the aide said. Among the Democrats Republicans are watching: Bob Casey (Pa.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Herb Kohl (Wis.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Jim Webb (Va.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), John Rockefeller (W.Va.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Tim Johnson (S.D.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.).

“Those are the guys that we are looking at as either possible co-sponsors or folks who would end up supporting us or folks who are going to face some pressure back home,” the aide said.

They are also some of the more endangered Democrats in this election year. All except for Rockefeller and Johnson – who supports Rockefeller’s proposal for a two-year delay – are up for reelection in 2012.

An industry lobbyist close to the Republican discussions said debate in March to extend federal spending and subsequent debt ceiling discussions this spring are likely targets for trying to block EPA. “You’ve got to figure with that much demand out there, one of those two is the winner,” the lobbyist said.

There has been much attention on potential compromise ideas intended to merely delay EPA climate regulations, such as Rockefeller’s suggested two-year time out. Some House Republicans have hinted may be the most politically realistic scenario.

Rockefeller earned the support of about a handful of fellow Senate Democrats – including North Dakota’s Kent Conrad and McCaskill. He has said he could get 60 votes to beat back a filibuster, if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) allowed it to come up for a vote.

Ohio’s Brown – who faces a potentially tough challenge in the 2012 election – has suggested the possibility of pushing a one-year delay.

Upton had also mentioned the idea of delaying EPA regulations until courts have ruled on the matter in pending lawsuits.

None of these ideas may be immune to a White House veto or able to get the two-thirds backing in the Senate to overcome a veto.

White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Nancy Sutley repeated the veto threat Wednesday. “The president’s advisers have said if it comes to a straight up or down, they’d recommend he’d veto it,” she told reporters. “And I think that continues to be where we are.”

But Republicans see an opportunity to push ahead and make their case going into the 2012 election that EPA greenhouse gas and other regulations hinder jobs.

“This is good policy and politics for us,” a Republican aide said. “A two-year delay doesn’t work.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) – who last year offered a Senate resolution disapproving of EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas regulations – was not involved in the meeting or this initial effort, but continues to discuss the issue with fellow lawmakers.

Murkowski spokesman Robert Dillon said she is coordinating with Rockefeller on legislative language as Rockefeller prepares to re-introduce language this Congress aimed at delaying EPA climate rules for stationary sources.

“Senator Murkowski has told Rockefeller that she does support his goal of reining in the EPA,” Dillon said. But she’s keeping her options open, he added, and is supportive of all the measures aimed at blocking EPA climate rules.

A congressional Republican aide noted that Murkowski is “sympathetic” towards efforts both to cut off EPA’s authority to control greenhouse gases completely and to Rockefeller’s effort to delay for two years.

Murkowski is known – both on and off her top Republican position on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee – to take some more centrist positions than some GOP leaders are seeking in this election cycle and has shown more willingness to strike deals with Democrats.

The aide said it’s not a “slight” to Murkowski that she wasn’t involved. In Tuesday’s meeting. “There’s just different positions in the conference,” the aide said.

Darren Samuelsohn contributed to this report.

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