Senate GOP fine with Obama spill commission subpoena power

Senate Republicans do not plan to block future attempts to give subpoena power to a commission President Barack Obama has appointed to draw up safety and oversight recommendations for offshore oil and gas drilling in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico spill.

"I don’t know of any objections from Republican leaders," Don Stewart, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), wrote in an e-mail Thursday.

Democrats — on short notice — Wednesday tried to grant Obama’s commission subpoena power by unanimous consent and without a roll call vote. 

But Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who happened to be on the Senate floor at the time, was forced to object on behalf of the Republican caucus.
 
A trio of Senate Democrats — Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and New Jersey’s Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg — quickly held a press conference to deride Republicans for catering to oil companies.
 
But Stewart accuses Democrats of manufacturing drama on the Senate floor to score political points.
 
"Four minutes was not enough time to hear back from all the members (particularly the committee of jurisdiction, which was a little busy with someone named Kagan)," Stewart wrote. "I don’t know of any objections that came back. But we don’t make a habit of agreeing to things without checking with everyone first."
 
Stewart noted that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Wednesday approved a plan by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) to create a new oil spill commission appointed largely by Congress that would have subpoena power. "I do know that there is bipartisan support for efforts, such as the Barrasso proposal that cleared the committee, to get all the information we need, including subpoenas," Stewart said.