Dems: We'll dare GOP to side with Big Oil

[babylonsister]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/05/dems_well_force_republicans_to.html#more


Dems: We'll dare GOP to side with Big Oil


This could get interesting: Senate Democratic leaders plan to repeatedly push legislation next week to lift the liability cap on oil companies, in an effort to dare Republicans to side with Big Oil and oppose lifting the burden on taxpayers to clean up disasters like the Gulf oil spill, aides tell me.

With the politics of oil seemingly as slippery as ever, Dems already tried to pass such legislation by unanimous consent yesterday, only to have it blocked by GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The bill would have hiked the ceiling of liability for oil companies from $75 million to $10 billion after an oil spill.

Dem Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey tried a voice vote request on the bill yesterday, but Murkowski opposed it on the grounds that it could hurt what some are derisively calling "Small Oil" -- small companies that could get priced out of the market.

Senate Dem leaders reacted angrily yesterday to Murkowski's block. And now they say they're going to push the issue next week, by calling for more votes on it. Harry Reid spokesman Jim Manley emails:

"Senate Democrats, led by Senators Menendez, Lautenberg and Nelson, are going to continue next week to pass common-sense legislation to ensure that BP pays for the full cost of cleanup and that taxpayers in Nevada and across America are protected.

"Inexplicably, Republicans are protecting negligent oil companies like BP and blocking our efforts to prevent a BP bailout. Through their obstruction, Republicans are leaving taxpayers on the hook to pay for BP's negligence."

more...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/05/dems_well_force_republicans_to.html#more