Energy Policy Splits N

Energy Policy Splits N.M. Senators

Mar 28 - The Santa Fe New Mexican

Relations between New Mexico's U.S. senators might have hit their rockiest stretch this week as rising gasoline prices spurred further debate over the national energy policy, territory that both politicians claim as their own.

A day after Democrat Jeff Bingaman requested presidential intervention to help relieve prices at the pump, Republican Pete Domenici lambasted his fellow senator for "passing the buck" while blocking progress on the energy bill.

That, in turn, led to counteraccusations from Bingaman's staff that Domenici and the Republicans blocked the energy bill two years ago -- and have since been unable to muster enough support for their own, pork-laden legislation.

None of this is particularly new, of course. As the Senate's key energy lawmakers, Domenici and Bingaman have been at odds over the legislation for more than two years.

Various versions of the energy bill have come and gone, offering tax breaks and research money for alternative and fossil fuels, nuclear energy, revising drilling regulations on federal lands and pushing for a natural-gas pipeline from Alaska.

However, the tenor of the exchange escalated Thursday as Domenici accused Bingaman of "borderline hypocrisy."

"Some Democrats, led by Sen. Bingaman, seem to want to delay this bill again," Domenici said in a teleconference. "Their most recent ploy is to send the president a list (of solutions) and say, 'It's your fault.' Actually, that's pretty close to a joke."

Rising natural-gas prices have cost consumers $130 billion during the past four years, and things keep getting worse, he said. "I want to make sure that they (consumers) know that we have had a great opportunity to get on with producing American natural gas, and the Jeff Bingaman-led Democrats killed it."

Bingaman's spokeswoman, Jude McCartin, said Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for the current state of the energy debate. When Bingaman headed the energy committee in a Democrat- controlled Senate two sessions ago, she said, Republicans blocked the first energy bill, opting instead to craft their own version after regaining control last year.

Speaking in an interview Thursday, Bingaman said his letter to the president suggested administrative actions that could be taken under current law to address rising gasoline and natural-gas prices - - regardless of what happens with the energy bill.

In particular, Bingaman called for a suspension of deliveries to the strategic oil reserve and an increase in funds to address the backlog of drilling permits on federal lands. He said both actions would make more oil available to the domestic market. He also asked the administration to exert more pressure on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to boost international production.

"I didn't see it as an alternative to adopting an energy bill," Bingaman said. "I saw it as a set of actions that would hopefully bring about some short-term relief in these prices."

Domenici accused Bingaman of blocking the legislation by refusing to limit the number of amendments that would be offered by Senate Democrats. Domenici said the Republican leadership was unwilling to bring a bill to the floor knowing that Democrats would weigh it down with an endless string of amendments.

For his part, Bingaman said amendments are a critical part of lawmaking in America. Republicans crafted the entire bill without consulting Democrats, he said, and now they want to limit Democrats' ability to discuss the legislation.

"That is just very contrary to the procedures normally followed in the Senate and very contrary to a fair procedure as I see it," Bingaman said. "There are 48 Democrats and one independent, and each of them has the right to offer amendments."

In addition to the rifts between Democrats and Republicans over things such as conservation and further incentives for fossil-fuel production, Republican leadership in the House and Senate also have their differences.

Domenici has agreed to drop liability protection for manufacturers of the gasoline additive MTBE, for instance, while House leaders insist on such a provision. Once encouraged by federal law, MTBE is now being phased out because of concerns about groundwater contamination.

Although it was a critical issue when last year's legislation died in negotiations between the two houses, Domenici said MTBE is not a showstopper this year.

But Bingaman disagreed. He said MTBE and other issues could weigh down this year's legislation -- already a trimmed-down version of last year's bill -- again.

"I don't know whether the House Republican leadership will relent in their insistence on some of these provisions," Bingaman said. If they don't, he added, "I'm not too optimistic about a bill being passed."