Friday, December 7, 2007: While energy bill hits a snag, senators have agreed to proceed to debate on farm bill amendments

[15:11]
Majority leader Harry Reid (NV) is now on the floor. He has moved the chamber into executive session and the Senate just passed en bloc by a voice vote a few minor treaties concerning trademark and patent law.

Now he is passing through a resolution honoring some sort of achievement by young women.

Now passing through an extension of programs under the Small Business Act. All by unanimous consent.

Senate will adjourn until Monday at 15:30 when it will resume consideration of the Farm Bill. No roll call votes Monday.

Senate now stands in adjournment.

[14:35]
Tom Harkin (IA), chairman of the Agriculture committee, surmised this morning that it could take until January to finish work on the farm bill.

[14:32]
Pretty quiet in the Senate this afternoon. Lots of quorum call. Because there aren’t going to be any more votes this afternoon, the Senate has gone into a period of morning business during which senators can speak on any topic.

Senators are working off the floor on the farm bill. Each party can offer up to 20 amendments to the bill. Because more than 250 amendments had been filed on the bill, it’s going to take a lot of time to figure out whose amendments will make it to the floor. You can bet there are going to be some unhappy senators. It is always possible that a senator could revolt against the 20/20 agreement if his or her amendment doesn’t make the cut.

[11:10]
There won’t be any more votes today. Senators are invited to come to the floor to debate amendments to the farm bill.

[11:03]
The Senate now turns to the Farm Bill, H.R. 2419. Last night, senators announced a deal on a framework by which to debate the Farm Bill. As Tom Harkin (IA) just explained it on the floor, both sides have agreed that the tree would come down and both sides could offer up to 20 amendments on the bill.

The Senate appears poised to begin debating those amendments today. This is great news for anyone who wants to see the farm bill passed before Christmas recess.

[10:41]
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) is talking about reworking the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Recall that the Congress hastily passed in August something called the Protect America Act, a revision of FISA that Whitehouse calls “a second-rate piece of legislation.”

Whitehouse observes that Americans traveling abroad can have their calls back home wiretapped under the current law. He says that the revision of FISA that the Senate will soon consider must address this problem. He is also talking about the zany legal theories coming out of the White House and George W. Bush’s Office of Legal Counsel.

[10:19]
Here comes the result of a motion for cloture on H.R. 6, the energy bill.

Yeas 53, nays 42. Sixty votes were necessary for cloture, measure is not agreed to.

The energy bill has suffered a setback in the Senate.

Republicans voting in favor of cloture: Thune (SD), Collins (ME), Smith (OR), and Snowe (ME).

Democrats voting against cloture: Bayh (IN), Byrd (WV), and Landrieu (LA).

This was not unexpected. Senators are probably holding out so that they can offer amendments to the House version of the bill.

Pete Domenici (NM), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, notes that he and Jeff Bingaman (NM), the committee’s chairman, will be working with senators to put together a package of amendments so that they can return to work on the bill as soon as Monday.

Jeff Sessions (AL) and Mary Landrieu (LA) both say that they voted against it not because they are opposed energy reform but because the bill needs some work before it can be passed. It was a positive sign for Sessions to state that the government needs to help bring about cleaner production of energy.

[10:14]So far, I have heard Robert Byrd (WV) vote against the bill. This is a bad sign. He is probably voting to protect the coal industry in his state. Will Levin and Stabenow from Michigan be on board with mandated fuel economy increases?

But Jay Rockefeller (WV) votes “aye.”

Mary Landrieu (LA) votes against it.

[10:09]The Senate is now voting on whether to move ahead with consideration of H.R. 6, an energy bill that the House passed yesterday 235-181.

Sixty votes are needed so that the Senate can begin debating the bill.

Among other things, the bill offers $21b in energy conservation tax incentives, offset by repealing subsidies for the oil and gas industry.

It requires utilities to produce 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

It raises the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (Café) standards for cars, light trucks, and SUVs to 35 m.p.g. by 2020.

The White House has issues a veto threat because it does not like the 2020 mandates. Nor does it like certain tax provisions in the bill.