President Obama may not yet have persuaded Congress to approve a sweeping new energy bill, but as Senate Democrats meet behind closed doors Thursday to hammer out a list of proposals, he has clearly rekindled the debate.
In a sign of the president's engagement on a goal that was all but given up for dead before oil started gushing in the gulf, Obama has summoned eight senators to the White House next week for broad, bipartisan talks about the legislative path forward.
Obama, after his morning meeting with BP executives at the White House, also sat down Wednesday with Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who has been a swing vote on several issues this year.
Much like the development of the massive healthcare bill, moving major energy legislation is likely to be a difficult and contentious process.
But with midterm elections looming, some advocates and congressional Democrats say Obama must become engaged quickly and set clear priorities.
"He needs to make it clear that this has to be a bold and comprehensive plan," said Sen. Mark Begich (D- Alaska), who might support a far-reaching bill that would set a price on carbon emissions — essentially a tax on industries that emit greenhouse gases that are deemed responsible for global warming.
Obama's role during the healthcare debate frustrated lawmakers because he hesitated to spell out his preference on make-or-break provisions.
Even with an all-out administrative effort, congressional action on comprehensive energy legislation remains tough politically. Continued...
