Environmentalists Size Up Climate Change Legislation’s Odds Against a More Conservative Congress

This year, Congress passed the most ambitious agenda in recent memory, overhauling how the nation regulates banks and financial products and dramatically reforming the health-care system. President Obama had hoped to add comprehensive energy legislation — with a cap-and-trade program — to that list, but the Senate failed to move More…

Electric/Natural Gas Vehicles Bill To Get Lame-Duck Vote

As I reported yesterday, electric vehicles advocates are confident they’ll get a vote on their proposal proposal to incentivize the vehicles in 2011. Well, it looks like that vote could come sooner.

With Senate Recessing This Week, Clock is Ticking for Energy Proposals

The Senate is expected to recess this week (likely between Wednesday and Friday) in order to give lawmakers campaigning time ahead of the November mid-term elections. While few thought senators could get anything significant done on energy before the midterms, it’s now all but certain.

About That Vote on the Tax Cuts

Not happening before the election, after all:

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) told reporters that Republican threats to block a vote unless Democrats extend all the tax cuts, including for the wealthy, make the timing impossible.

Oil Industry: ‘Difficult’ to Pass Energy, Oil Spill Bills This Year

American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard predicted today that energy legislation, including an oil spill response bill and a stripped-down energy bill, will likely not be considered until after the mid-term elections in a lame duck session in the Senate. Even then, he said, “It will be difficult to get More…

Report: Pelosi Kills Talk of December Session

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.) on Tuesday ended the speculation that Congress might return to Washington after Thanksgiving if Democrats fail this week to pass legislation to bail out the auto industry, Roll Call reported: