legislation

Bailout fails in House

Listen Play “End of the World Party,” by Medeski Martin & Wood Looks like the bailout bill just now failed in the House, 205-228. The stock market is in freefall. Wheee! UPDATE: Apparently Republicans promised 80-90 votes and only came through with 66 … at which point nervous Dems started bailing. Some 90 Dems voted […]

Did House Dems kill renewable tax credit extension?

Sure looks that way. I wasn’t entirely thrilled with everything in the Senate bill. But given how dreadful congressional Democrats and environmentalists are at messaging, it is surely the best anybody could hope for. The House Dems threw out elements of the tax package that were crucial to get the support of Senate Republicans and […]

Renewable tax credits pass again in House, but changes to the plan may kill it in the Senate

The fate of tax extensions for renewable energy remains in question today, after the House approved a tax package that differed from the version passed earlier this week in the Senate.   To the delight of enviros, the House version strips out tax incentives for oil shale and tar sands development, as well as provisions […]

Senate kills second economic stimulus package

Earlier today, the House passed a second stimulus bill, which would pump $56 billion into the economy through public works and infrastructure projects (including green infrastructure), as well as unemployment insurance, food stamps, weatherizing low-income homes, and healthcare funding for states. A few hours ago, Senate Republicans blocked the bill with the threat of a […]

McCain gambles with the U.S. economy; House Republicans hold the bailout hostage; chaos reigns

Yes, yes, I know the financial crisis is not strictly a green issue — except insofar as it dries up capital desperately needed for green investments — but I just have to put some kind of note on record here. This is the most bizarre political season in memory, and the last few days have […]

Senate Democrats propose a new economic stimulus package

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) have unveiled a $56.2 billion “economic recovery package” that includes funding for things like public transit, home weatherization, and environmental cleanup. With time running out on this Congress, they may try to attach the measure to a continuing resolution. “We must […]

Offshore drilling ban will expire at the end of September

Democrats will let the ban on offshore drilling expire this month. The AP reports: Democrats have decided to allow a quarter-century ban on drilling for oil off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to expire next week, conceding defeat in an month-long battle with the White House and Republicans set off by $4 a gallon gasoline […]

The scoop on energy bills in Congress: offshore drilling, oil shale, renewable tax credits, and more

What’s really up with the energy bills in Congress? Will we see oil rigs off the coast of New Jersey anytime soon? Will Congress actually get anything done before it adjourns next week? As the clock ticks down on the 110th Congress, it’s not entirely clear what we can expect in terms of energy. The […]

‘Environmental purists’ unhappy with House Dem energy bill

This is mostly water under the bridge now, but look, Dems got outmaneuvered this summer, as Republicans managed to successfully reframe the energy debate around drilling. They drummed up lots of public support and put Dems on the defensive. This is the fault not only of Dem lawmakers but also of everyone on the progressive […]