07/18/05 Energy Bill timeline

The House-Senate joint conference committee on the Energy Bill began negotiations last week to reconcile differences. Now the Bush Administration has stated it wants an Energy Bill to the President's desk and fast. Specifically, it wants the Energy Bill passed out of Congress before the August recess begins. Iowa's Chuck Grassley is among the conferees from the Senate side. And he says from talking with colleagues from both sides, unlike past years, Congress is determined to pass some sort of energy bill. GRASSLEY: I think that the price of oil at $61dollars ought to be a constant reminder to us of the need to have a national energy policy. It sends a clear message to the world that the United States is doing the best we can through energy independence to moderate the prices. Record highs in crude oil prices, increasing natural gas prices, and concerns about the nation's electric system are all putting pressure on Congress to do something. Northwest lawmakers are equally as anxious to get an Energy Bill passed, as benefits range from streamlining the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's dam relicensing process, to encouraging more renewable fuel production with potential economic benefits to our region, to increasing funding and projects for energy research. Or as U.S. Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho put it & CRAPO: It is imperative that we stop becoming so dependant on foreign fuel for our energy, and that we become much more diversified in our energy resources. So why would there be any hang-ups in getting an Energy Bill passed? Although both sides of Congress desire getting a bill done, there are still differences to resolve&differences such as liability protections against makers of m.t.b.e.'s, and bioenergy tax breaks that have killed previous attempts at an Energy Bill. And what that could mean is final passage of an Energy Bill may not happen until this fall. But there might be another stimulus for conference committee negotiations to run smooth and for an Energy Bill to come out of Congress by August. The latest reports have the President announcing his nominee to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor as U.S. Supreme Court Justice by August, which would allow the Senate to begin hearings in September and approve a nominee by the start of the High Court's next session in early October. When hearings begin, Washington D.C. insiders say all committee action is expected to come to a halt. And considering previous fights over judicial nominees, delay in final passage of an Energy Bill, if not approved by the time Supreme Court nominee hearings begin, could take days, perhaps weeks.