Conrad, Chambliss defend compromise energy plan

Two leaders of a Senate group seeking a bipartisan energy compromise on Wednesday struck back at House Republican opposition to their effort.

Sens. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) argued that their “Gang of 10” proposal is the only measure that could possibly pass through Congress’s upper chamber.

{mosads}The senators were responding to a letter sent late Tuesday by Republican Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.), who criticized the proposal unveiled Aug. 1 by the Gang of 10, an informal group of centrist senators led by Conrad and Chambliss.

McCotter said House Republicans would oppose the plan because it does not go far enough in lifting a congressional ban on offshore oil drilling and because it would raise revenues by reducing tax breaks.

Conrad’s response to McCotter on Wednesday was blunt: “He must not have read our proposal. If he did, he must not understand it.” 

Chambliss was more complimentary of House Republicans’ effort this week to force the issue by giving speeches to tourists and reporters in the darkened House gallery. But he also said the House GOP seems more focused on getting attention than compromising on a pragmatic solution.

“I applaud what they’re doing over there … but what they don’t understand is, if we tried to bring their proposal to the floor in the Senate, it would never get 60 votes,” Chambliss said. “Their proposal just won’t pass in the Senate.

“What we’ve done is sit down and try to come together and craft something that will get a successful vote of 60 senators. I don’t know if it will or not, but I do know theirs would not.”

McCotter responded swiftly to the criticism from Conrad and Chambliss.

“Sen. Conrad’s problem is that I do understand the proposal. Unfortunately Sen. Conrad does not understand the issue. Perhaps his staff briefed him too quickly?" McCotter said through a spokesman. “As for Sen. Chambliss’ remark, let me be clear, I haven’t accused any of them of acting out of principle.”

The Gang of 10 plan, forged by five Democratic and five Republican senators, would allow oil exploration in parts of the Gulf of Mexico and would give Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia the option to allow drilling beyond 50 miles off their coasts. It would also trim tax breaks for oil companies, promote research into renewable energy sources, offer loan guarantees for coal-to-liquid fuel research, broaden nuclear energy production and invest in development of non-petroleum-based fuels.

When senators return in September, Chambliss said, the only way to break the energy stalemate is for both Democrats and Republicans to compromise. The Gang of 10 plan, he said, could be the ideal starting point.

“If we can work on a common ground with the Democrats, we have a real opportunity to lower gas prices,” he said. “I hope our plan is the basis. It’s not the solution, but at least it’s a starting point and I hope it can be improved by debate on the floor.”