SENATE ENERGY PANEL HOPING TO WRAP UP BILL MARKUP THIS WEEK

摘要

The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee failed to finish marking up its comprehensive energy legislation last week, despite the best of intentions from Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.). According to Binga-man spokesman David Marks, the committee is "making progress in shrinking the list of pending amendments," on the bill but a June 11 markup was cut short due to votes on the Senate floor. Whether the committee will manage to report the bill-which has now been dubbed the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009-amid a hectic schedule this week is still unclear, but the committee currently has two short markups scheduled. A major health care bill will be marked up in two committees this week, making time scarce for the ongoing energy debate, although Bingaman has said he wants to see his energy package through to completion. Bingaman and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) both serve on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which could complicate matters.