Cloture vote fails in Senate

Reid will have to decide whether to trim back the bill to get it through

Posted by David Roberts at 10:02 AM on 07 Dec 2007

Read more about: politics | legislation | climate | energy

As expected, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid held a cloture vote this morning, trying to force a vote on the energy bill. It failed 53-42.

There isn't much time left this session. Reid has two choices: one, he could follow Pelosi's bold lead, keep the entire package together, and force Republicans to actually filibuster it -- find out if corn-state legislators want to vote against an RFS. Find out if the Republican Party wants to go on record opposing the first boost in CAFE in over 30 years.

Alternatively, Reid could wheel and deal in the smoky back rooms: strip the Renewable Portfolio Standard and the tax package out of the bill, leaving just the RFS and CAFE, and try to vote the resulting (crappy) bill through. At this point it looks like that's going to be his play, since he's already talking to the press about it.

Bush would definitely veto a bill with an RPS and tax package in it. Will he veto a bill without them? He certainly has been talking like he will; he has all but vowed to veto any bill that diverts in any way from his pathetic "20 by 10" plan.

If Bush is going to veto regardless, this is now about good politics, not good policy. It seems to me that for once, Reid should actually force Republicans to do what they threaten. Force them to visibly obstruct a good bill rather than killing it in the shadows.

Apparently he feels otherwise. Sigh.

For story: Cloture vote fails in Senate
4 Comments | Post a Comment

Well, no one ever accused Congress

or the Democrats of profiles in courage.

I think the environmental movement is going to provide the backbone and guts that the Dems are lacking.

Nothing that is happening right now is any bolt from the blue surprise. We should realize that the top green priority of 2008 is the smashing of Republican power. Dec 7, 2007 should be like Dec 7, 1941. We have to mobilize. This means war.

Randy Cunningham

Randy Cunningham

by randino at 11:45 AM on 07 Dec 2007

Take a stand

The best thing to do would be to force the republicans to filibuster it. Odds are Bush will veto any bill with increased CAFE standards anyway, so it will be a double defeat to get cave in the Senate and then be vetoed by Bush.

Right now the goal should be to build momentum for meaningful legislation when the new president is in office. Sticking to the original bill will show the obstructionists in congress who is in charge and will show they won't be able to block strong bills.

If the opponents of the bill are forced to publicly filibuster it, they will also have to take the majority of the blame for not getting necessary legislation passed.

by josullivan58 at 12:34 PM on 07 Dec 2007

Gotta Love...

the way big media is framing this.

Front page of the Washington Post online reads:

"Energy Bill Vote Blocked"

"Senate democrats fail...."

Note the use of the passive voice in the main headline, and the use of active voice in the sub-head/body. The word "republican" does not appear on the front page. Typical.

by rycarson at 12:46 PM on 07 Dec 2007

On the other hand

"If the opponents of the bill are forced to publicly filibuster it, they will also have to take the majority of the blame for not getting necessary legislation passed."

There is the possibility that the republican noise machine will spin this as the democrats being incompetent or unnecessarily partisan.

What I'm afraid will happen is that the RES and oil company tax sections will be removed only to have the bill not to pass congress or be vetoed. Then the CAFE standard will be cut and the only thing left will be the subsidies for industrial agriculture.

by josullivan58 at 4:35 PM on 07 Dec 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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