Top House Democrats on Friday are already downplaying the effects of including the Keystone XL oil pipeline as part of the must-pass payroll tax cut package.
Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) told POLITICO that even if President Barack Obama signed a law requiring him to make a decision on permitting the 1,700-mile pipeline within 60 days, they think he'd still end up rejecting it.
Continue Reading"I think it's shortsighted for the Republicans to force a decision without giving the president enough time to fully consider it," said Waxman, the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. "And if they force him to do that, it'd seem to me, the only logical thing for him to do is to say no to it."
"We expect the president to still reject the commencement of the construction of the pipeline until there is a full completion of an environmental review," added Markey, the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee. "The 60-day deadline should not lead to the White House approving the actual construction to begin."
Markey also argued that the GOP couldn?t claim a win if Keystone made it in. ?What are they getting?? he asked.
Both Democrats also said they were not in the thick of the negotiations, though Waxman, holding his BlackBerry up, joked at one point, ?The White House has just sent me an email saying, ?Don?t worry.??
Closed-door negotiations continued Friday on the payroll bill, with Democrats pushing Republicans to soften the pipeline language and the White House silent as it weighs a final call. But House and Senate GOP lawmakers said they expect Senate Democrats and the White House will end up accepting a deal because it gives them a win on the payroll tax holiday while allowing Obama wiggle room on the final decision.
"Keystone XL pipeline WILL be part of final tax package," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wrote on Twitter.
Earlier Friday, House Speaker John Boehner told GOP conference members during a closed-door meeting that he wouldn't budge on the pipeline as part of a deal to extend the tax holiday, jobless benefits and the Medicare reimbursement rate.
While Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had been considering a two-month extension of the payroll tax breaks without the pipeline, Boehner told Republicans he'd bring the House back into session to amend the bill and put Keystone back in.
"Boehner told us and our conference was very clear to Boehner that we will support nothing unless it has Keystone in it," said Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.), a lead-sponsor of legislation that would force Obama to make a decision on the pipeline.
"So it's very clear, Boehner sent a message to our speakers, and for his discussions for Harry Reid, Keystone has to be part of this. So I'm fairly confident that whatever comes to us will have Keystone in it," Terry added.
Senate Republicans took to the floor Friday to add pressure on Obama. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell read off quotes from Democrats supporting Keystone, from Sens. Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Kent Conrad (N.D.) to Rep. Jim Clyburn (S.C.). McConnell also noted Boehner's opposition to any payroll bill without it.
"Frankly I will not be able to support a package that does not include the pipeline," McConnell added.
This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 2:03 p.m. on December 16, 2011.
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