McConnell: Dems waging ‘elitist war on coal’

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ripped into Democrats and President Obama Wednesday for waging an “elitist war on coal.”

“The Obama Administration’s extreme regulations would hammer existing coal facilities too, taking the ax to even more American coal jobs in the midst of an awful economy,” McConnell said.

{mosads}The Kentucky lawmaker asked consent to consider at least five Republican energy amendments to the energy efficiency bill before the Senate Wednesday, one of which would block the administration’s carbon emissions limits on coal-fired power plants.

Other amendments included a measure to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, expedite natural gas exports, and block future efforts to implement a carbon tax on polluters. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) objected to the amendments and proceeded to fill the tree shortly after.

Both senators talked passed each other during debate on the Senate floor Wednesday, a reflection of the negotiations both party leaders have been engaged in for the past week.

If the impasse continues between the two parties and Republicans kill the energy efficiency bill, Reid will pull the plug on any stand-alone vote approving the Keystone XL pipeline.