WV Senator Rockefeller (D) Planning to Throw Monkey Wrench in Obama's Climate Change Policies

Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia is continuing his crusade against any possible climate change regulations that the Obama Administration might try to implement over the next two years:

Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is pressing forward on his drive to vote this month on his plan to delay Obama administration climate regulations for two years, threatening to go directly to the Senate floor and force a vote to include it in a catch-all spending bill.

Rockefeller has told Senate leadership “that he will insist on a vote” on his measure to block the Environmental Protection Agency global warming rules set to take effect next month.

“If left with no other option, Senator Rockefeller will seek to suspend the rules on the Omnibus Appropriations bill to bring up his legislation,” his office said in a statement. Such a maneuver would require 67 votes, which he is unlikely to get.
A POLITICO analysis shows at least 56 senators would likely support Rockefeller’s amendment.

Rockefeller has been trying for months to get Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to schedule a vote on his amendment. The West Virginia Democrat has said he would hold Reid to a promise he gave Rockefeller to hold a vote this year.

"The time has come for us to make a decision on the energy future of our country," Rockefeller said in a prepared statement. "While there are still ongoing discussions about how Congress should proceed, I want to make it clear that I intend to get a vote this year on my EPA-suspension legislation. I know there is bipartisan support for this legislation, and if necessary, I will seek to suspend the rules and bring this up for a vote. This is too important for us to delay any further."

But holding a vote on the two-year delay could be an embarrassing symbolic rebuke to the Obama administration. Rockefeller’s plan has no realistic shot of becoming law even if it passes the Senate, given the lack of desire by House Democratic leaders to take it up and a White House veto threat.

Maybe he won't have that much of a shot in this House, but the next house, when the Republicans will be the majority, he’ll have a much better shot to pass any such bans on new climate regulations or taxes.

He tried to get into the omnibus bill, last night, but of course, the omnibus bill died last night. So, he will have to try and add it to future legislation like the DREAM, DADT, or START bills, before the end of this Congress, but I think that it would be better for him to wait until next month, when the GOP will play a much bigger role in what is passed.

When he does bring it back up, he needs to be sure not just focus on the EPA like he has been. As Michelle Malkin reports, Janet Napolitano making "environmental justice" a big priority at the Department of Homeland Security. What does global warming have to do with national security? Who knows.

He is doing this to curry favor with the voters in his state of West Virginia, which is heavily reliant on coal mining for their economy. Any sort of legislation that might be passed limiting or putting taxes on carbon emissions would kill the economy for the whole state and would, in turn, kill any chances at his re-election. I know that he isn’t up for re-election until 2014, but passing any such enviromental bill, now, would have such a devestating effect on the economy that the it would still be feeling the effects four years from now.

H/T to Ed Morrissey

Administration Says Climate Change Bill Is Top Priority Over the Summer: Good Luck With That

Bill Burton, Obama's deputy press secretary, made the claim, while on a liberal talk show today, that passing climate change bill this summer in a priority for the Obama Administration:

Passing an energy bill will be President Barack Obama's top legislative priority this summer, White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said Wednesday.

The president's main focus will shift to working toward a comprehensive energy bill once the Congress finishes up work on Wall Street reform, a process that is expected to conclude this month.

I would say that just in terms of timing, obviously, financial regulatory reform, that goes first, Burton said during an appearance on the liberal Bill Press radio show when asked if energy would be the top legislative priority for the White House.

After we get through that, yes, Burton added.

Obama underscored the need for energy legislation Tuesday night during his Oval Office address, saying he's open to all approaches that would help transition the U.S. toward using renewable, clean energy sources.

This would seem to indicate that Obama would like to resurrect the cap-n-tax debate. The liberal Democratic leadership will definitely be tempted to push it this year, but the toxicity of the issue for those up for election will lead many Democrats in oil, gas, and coal states to balk at the mention of a tax that will cripple their state/districts' economies right before their constituents will decide their employment status for the next 2 or 6 years:

Does that mean cap-and-trade is dead?  It’s been pronounced dead on several occasions during the year, only to have Democratic leadership pledge to push forward this year.  They don’t have much choice; if the bill doesn’t get passed in this session of Congress, it will have to be reintroduced from scratch in the House next year.  As it is, the House will have to have at least one more vote on it to get it to Obama’s desk, probably in a conference committee, if the Senate passes its version. Next year, Democrats won’t have the votes to pass it, and in the House may not have control of the agenda to even get it to a vote.

That’s the conundrum, however.  Any Democrat in a competitive district foolish enough to vote for cap-and-trade in the final few months before the general election can assume that his legislative career will come to an end.  Many Democrats won’t be returning anyway, but they might believe a chance exists to avoid the tsunami coming in November if they can demonstrate some independence from Nancy Pelosi with a couple of late votes — and cap-and-trade would be an excellent target for strategic voting on their part.

While many believe that it won't happen this year, the same lawmakers believe that it might be possible next year:

Some Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns that voting on the climate plan could create a political backlash in the November elections.

“There’s not a great call for it in the Democratic caucus,” said West Virginia Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller, who has argued against taking up the bill. Feinstein said last week she believed climate legislation could be passed next year.

I believe that while Congress' jobs hang in the balance, there won't be anything more than a whisper about cap-and-trade. Although, if (I can't stress IF enough) Democrats retain their heavy advantage over the Republicans after November, then, we will see it brought up next year. However, the far more likely scenario is that Republicans will have heavy gains this year and possibly gain control of at least the House. This will make it basically impossible for cap-and-tax to go anywhere near a floor vote. As long as everything goes as it looks like it will now, we shouldn't have to worry about a carbon tax. Congress passing more safety regulations regarding off-shore drilling platforms seems far more likely and perhaps needed.