Energy reform push runs out of time — House GOP

Source: Geof Koss, E&E News reporter • Posted: Thursday, December 8, 2016

Efforts to enact a package of energy and natural resource provisions are out of time, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said this afternoon.

“The conferees were not able to come to agreement on various outstanding issues in time for the House to consider a conference report,” Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong said in an email.

The news came shortly after Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) had told reporters that she had yet to hear from the House on the Senate’s latest overtures to keep talks alive.

Murkowski said she and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) would continue to push for an agreement to salvage nearly two years of work.

Earlier today, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters that those efforts would bear fruit. “It keeps coming back to life, but I think we’re running out of time,” he said.