Congress to move against Clean Power Plan this week
By Eric Wolff, With help from Darren Goode, Alex Guillén, and Anca Gurzu, Politico.
CONGRESS TO MOVE AGAINST CLEAN POWER PLAN NEXT WEEK: House Republicans as early as Tuesday will debate and vote on two Senate-approved resolutions disapproving of EPA greenhouse gas rules for power plants, representing their official public rebuke of the administration’s climate position in Paris. The House Energy and Commerce Committee also approved non-binding disapproval resolutions sponsored by Rep. Ed Whitfield. But by taking up the Senate versions, Republicans can send them to Obama (to veto) soon after he gets back from the start of the climate summit Tuesday.
Energy bill ready to hit the floor: Whitfield says he has been asked by Republican leaders to lead a bipartisan House delegation to the Paris summit in December if there is time to break away from the spending talks to keep the government running, But a trip to the summit will also wait until after the Kentucky Republican helps lead what will likely be two days of floor debate starting next Wednesday on an Energy and Commerce energy bill. The legislation focuses on infrastructure improvements, liquefied natural gas exports and incorporating some of the Energy Department’s quadrennial review recommendations. Republicans are touting it as their alternative vision to the one administration officials will stress in Paris. But the bill is opposed by most Democrats after energy panel leaders failed to craft a bipartisan compromise that would have accommodated Democrats' desire to address climate change.