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Energy Nominees and Regulations on Tap after Presidents’ Day Recess

By Scott Morrison posted 02-23-2017 09:23 AM

  
Congress has been on its weeklong recess for the Presidents’ Day holiday but upon their return to Washington, nominations for the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) are scheduled to be voted on, as are two energy regulations.

On February 17, the Senate confirmed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt after a bruising confirmation process. Environmental and clean air groups vociferously opposed Pruitt’s nomination; while in contrast, industry groups and oil and gas producers strongly supported his nomination with equal fervor. Though blocking Pruitt was an impossibility, his nomination was dragged out by Senate Democrats hoping to stumble upon something disqualifying in his record, but no such information emerged and he passed the Senate 52-46.

With Pruitt’s confirmation finished, but taking until the Friday before the recess, the nominations of Governor Rick Perry (R-Texas) as Secretary of Energy and Representative Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) as Secretary of the Interior, will occur after the recess. No official timing for their final Senate votes has been announced as of yet, but both are expected to pass easily due to the 51 vote threshold for all non-Supreme Court nominees.

On a similar timeframe as nominations, two Obama-era Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations are likely to be overturned by Congress via the Congressional Review Act, which requires only 51 votes: a rule prohibiting venting and flaring from production on BLM lands; and, the Planning 2.0 rule, which seeks to streamline resource management plans for BLM.

Republicans strenuously oppose both arguing that the former is unnecessary and holds back oil and natural gas production, while the latter they argue cuts out input from state and local groups in the planning process. Both rules are expected to easily pass the Senate after quick passage earlier this year in the House. APGA will keep members informed on developments with these regulations and nominations.

For questions on this article, please contact Scott Morrison of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at smorrison@apga.org.

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