Landrieu Still Has Not Made Decision on Her OMB Chief Hold

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) has still not made a decision about whether to lift her hold on President Obama’s nominee to head the White House Office of Management and Budget, Jack Lew, her office told TWI today.

“There’s nothing new to report at this time,” Landrieu spokeswoman Ellie Atkins said in an email.

Landrieu placed a hold on Lew’s nomination in September, citing the Obama administration’s deepwater drilling moratorium, which she argued would kill thousands of jobs and further damage the Gulf coast economy. The administration lifted the moratorium last month, but Landrieu has said she will wait to lift the hold until she has time to review the administration’s efforts to review permits.

Landrieu, other Gulf coast lawmakers and the oil industry have raised questions about the amount of time it will take for drilling to resume once the moratorium is lifted, fearing long delays to approve permits.