Landrieu says she’s getting ‘pushback’ from White House on OMB hold

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said she is getting pressure from the White House for blocking Jacob Lew’s Senate confirmation as federal budget chief over her concern with offshore drilling policy, but isn’t ready to alter her stance.

“I am getting pushback. I didn’t expect they would be happy about it, so I am not surprised,” Landrieu told reporters Tuesday. “This is just a respectful discussion, argument that is going on.”

Landrieu is using a procedural hold to block Lew’s confirmation as White House Office of Management and Budget director until the Obama administration agrees to lift or alter the moratorium on deepwater oil-and-gas drilling.

She is also demanding an acceleration of permits for shallow water projects that have slowed in the wake of the BP oil spill. Landrieu announced late last week that she would block Lew over the drilling issues.

Landrieu said today that she had a “long meeting” with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar over the weekend and a 1.5 hour meeting this morning with Michael Bromwich, who heads Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Restoration and Enforcement.

“We are making slight progress, but not enough for me to change my position at this time,” she told reporters Tuesday after testifying before the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling in Washington.

Administration officials have indicated that they’re open to easing the drilling ban before its scheduled Nov. 30 expiration. Bromwich is slated to provide Salazar a report on the moratorium later this week.

Interior has toughened offshore safety oversight in recent months and more requirements are forthcoming.