House greenhouse gas vote on tap

The year’s first floor showdown over greenhouse gases will probably begin Friday.

The House is slated to vote on an amendment to federal spending legislation that would block Environmental Protection Agency climate rules.

The GOP’s underlying fiscal year 2011 spending bill already blocks funding for EPA’s implementation of greenhouse-gas permitting rules for stationary sources.

But the overlapping amendment filed by several Texas Republicans — if it comes up as scheduled — sets up a politically volatile vote on the rules.

The amendment — filed by Reps. Ted Poe, Joe Barton and John Carter — would restrict the agency for the balance of the fiscal year.

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) is planning to move a more sweeping bill later this year to outright nullify EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants, refineries, factories and other facilities.