Senate looks to September on energy

Senate Democrats and Republicans declared an impasse Thursday on energy legislation and said they will have to wait until September to try again.

Democratic leaders cast the chances as nil for a breakthrough agreement before they leave Friday for the month-long August recess, after GOP senators on Wednesday blocked a vote on renewable energy tax credits.

{mosads}Democrats have been trying to focus the debate on oil speculators and tax credits for renewable energy, while Republicans want the legislation to include expanded oil drilling.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), joined by his leadership team, said Thursday that Republicans are more interested in protecting oil companies than producing legislation to lower gas prices. The Democrats noted the $11.7 billion profit that Exxon Mobil reported Thursday for the second quarter — the largest quarterly profit ever by a U.S. corporation.

"I watched every little step of their dance. They never wanted a vote," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). "Seeing how Republicans have acted, I wish [a deal] would happen, but I think it's unlikely."

Don Stewart, a spokesman for Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), fired back by reminding reporters that Reid initially offered Republicans four amendments to the energy bill on Monday, but rescinded that offer Wednesday after McConnell tried to accept it.

"They're the ones who are objecting to their own offers," Stewart said of Democrats.

McConnell tried to force a vote on offshore drilling later in the day by pegging the timing of any drilling to the price of gasoline. He proposed triggers that would allow an expansion of  drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf if the average price of gasoline in the U.S. reached $4.50 per gallon, or $5 per gallon, or $7.50 per gallon, or $10 per gallon.

All four efforts failed on objections from Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.).

"I'm compelled to ask, what is the definition of an emergency?" McConnell said. "Our good friends on the other side of the aisle don't believe $10 a gallon is a sufficient emergency to open the Outer Continental Shelf?”

Salazar responded that Democrats have proposed expanding drilling, and the Republicans have consistently blocked any serious efforts at reaching consensus.

"What we are doing here with these triggers that are being proposed by the Republican leader is not getting to real solutions that deal with the energy crisis," Salazar said.

The impasse leaves only a handful of Senate business possible Thursday and Friday: conference reports on reforming the Consumer Product Safety Commission and updating the Higher Education Act of 1998. A proposal to move to a defense policy authorization measure is then expected Friday before adjournment.