New Congress Grapples With Energy Issues

Legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline, which lawmakers will take up as soon as this week, will open the first broad debate on energy policy in Congress in eight years and give the new Republican majority a chance to push for significant changes to President Barack Obama ’s agenda. GOP lawmakers, who now control the Senate and have a firmer hold on the House, are planning measures that would aim to spur greater development of fossil fuels and curtail a series of Mr. Obama’s environmental regulations, including ones cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Republicans are likely to run into roadblocks, however, including Mr. Obama’s ability to veto legislation. The first step in moving the GOP agenda will come Friday, when the House is expected to consider a measure to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, with the Senate following in the next few weeks. The legislation is expected to pass both chambers, but it is not clear whether Mr. Obama would sign it...more

Then, of course, there are the "moderates" in the party, and please remember how the Republican establishment supported Lamar Alexander in the primary.  We will all pay the price for that now:

The GOP also is sorting through how aggressive to be in trying to stop or delay environmental regulations. Some centrist Republicans, such as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, for example, have in the past been reluctant to support completely stripping the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority over certain regulations.

That pretty well leaves us with the annual appropriations process.

Republicans will pursue their agenda through two main tracks. They aim to pass bills on the floor that can get 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster. For more controversial items, such as stopping or delaying environmental regulations, they will seek to change policies through the appropriations process, which only requires 50 votes. Republicans hold 54 seats in the new Senate.

And guess who is a senior member of Senate Appropriations...that's right, Lamar Alexander.  And we lucky New Mexicans are "represented" on that Committee by Little Tommy YouDull.

Can't help but notice no mention is given of actually amending legislation such as the Antiquities Act of 1906 or the Endangered Species Act. 

Looks like the R's, at least on the Senate side, and even though they control both Chambers, are only going to play defense.

A Senate GOP aide said Monday the policies Republicans pursue will depend on how aggressively the administration writes its regulations, such as its draft standard setting a maximum level of ozone, commonly known as smog, that can be emitted into the atmosphere.