Murkowski bashes Dems for linking her EPA plan to Gulf oil spill

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is striking back at Democratic attempts to politically tether her resolution that blocks EPA climate change rules to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and support for “big oil.”

“I am flabbergasted that they would be jumping to this conclusion, to make this suggestion that somehow or other a vote in support of this resolution of disapproval is a vote that means that what has happened in the Gulf is something to be condoned,” Murkowski told reporters Wednesday at a press conference in the Capitol.

She argues that EPA regulation of greenhouse gases would have harmful effects across a broad swath of the economy. Murkowski’s plan is up for a Senate vote Thursday.

The Obama administration and Senate Democratic leaders have cited the BP oil spill as reason to oppose Murkowski’s resolution.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson made the connection in a Huffington Post column Monday, claiming Murkowski’s plan would “take us back to the same old failed policies and increase America's oil dependence by billions of barrels.”

Murkowski’s resolution, which cannot be filibustered, would overturn EPA’s “endangerment finding” last year that greenhouse gases threaten human health and welfare.

The finding is the legal precursor to EPA rules that will restrict greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, refineries, power plants and other sources.

Groups including the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are urging senators to back Murkowski’s plan.

On the other side, a suite of environmental and liberal groups are against it. So are the National Farmers Union and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, among others.

Murkowski has three Democratic co-sponsors for her plan: Sen. Mary Landrieu (La.), Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.). Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) also supports it, and Murkowski said Wednesday she expects other Democratic votes for it.

But she faces a major challenge to win 51 votes, and some Democratic swing votes said Wednesday that they are against her plan or leaning that way, including Sens. Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Byron Dorgan (N.D.).

Dorgan told reporters he is likely to oppose Murkowski’s plan, and backs a separate bill Rockefeller authored that would impose a two-year delay on EPA regulation of stationary industrial sources.

Dorgan said he expected Rockefeller’s bill to come to the Senate floor later this year. “I expect there will be a vote on it in this session,” Dorgan told reporters in the Capitol. “I feel pretty confident.”