John Siciliano of the Washington Examiner reports on the U.S. House’s disinterest in passing a federal energy bill before the end of the year.
House Republicans aren’t likely to let a major energy bill pass before the end of the year, betting they can get a better deal once President-elect Trump is in the White House.
With Trump’s surprise victory, GOP lawmakers are moving away from their earlier efforts to pass the bill this year, now that they can push their agenda next year without having to compromise with Democrats.
The Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016 has been lingering in conference committee all fall as House and Senate leaders hash out what they can and cannot live with in the sprawling bill, which looks to boost electric grid security, increase U.S. shale gas exports, relax regulations and improve the efficiency of commercial buildings and homes. …
… [R]ecent back-and-forth between House and Senate conferees suggest slow progress in reaching a deal before the end of the year, according to industry lobbyists tracking the bill. And McConnell has prioritized passing a clean short-term budget resolution by the end of the week, although he said last Tuesday there is “some hope” of passing the bill.
Leadership has set a get-in-and-get-out agenda, without the bells and whistles that would allow for legislation as potentially significant as a comprehensive energy bill in the last remaining weeks of the lame-duck session.
