The Senate still cannot come to an agreement about going to conference with the House to negotiate an energy bill. Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell has been in discussions with Chair Lisa Murkowski and House leaders, but has not been convinced that a conference will lead to anything that President Obama will sign into law. Democrats in the Senate will continue to wait for Cantwell's blessing before supporting a vote to go to conference.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe continued to lobby Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week for floor time for the WRDA bill passed out of committee earlier this spring. Inhofe says that McConnell supports action on the bill, and that very well could be the case. However, the schedule is extremely limiting now, with only a week and half of days in session after the Independence Day recess, before the long recess for the conventions and usual August break. Chances of WRDA clearing the Senate before the summer ends remain slim.
The House was in recess all week for the Independence Day holiday.
