White House to Landrieu: Stop ‘playing politics’ with OMB hold

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Tuesday attacked Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) for continuing to block Senate confirmation of Jacob Lew, President Obama’s pick for budget chief, despite removal of the deepwater oil-and-gas drilling ban.

“We hope that, as we work through the normal course of a policy that ensures that oil drilling is done in a safe way, certainly that Senator Landrieu would judge Jack Lew on the merits of being a budget director, not of playing politics and getting issues that are ancillary to what he does involved in that equation,” said Gibbs, reiterating his claim last month that Landrieu’s hold is “outrageous.”

Landrieu last month placed a hold on Lew, Obama's choice to run the Office of Management and Budget, unless the deepwater ban was removed or modified. She’s also upset over a slowdown in shallow-water development.

The Interior Department today lifted the moratorium, paving the way for drilling by companies that can demonstrate they’re meeting beefed up safety standards.

But Landrieu quickly said she’s not ready to lift the hold. She is instead waiting to see how the Interior Department carries out permitting.

“When Congress reconvenes for the lame-duck session next month, I will have had several weeks to evaluate if today’s lifting of the moratorium is actually putting people back to work,” Landrieu said Tuesday.

But Gibbs said it’s inappropriate for Landrieu to link Lew to drilling policy.
 
“Jack didn't have anything to do with issuing the moratorium, doesn't currently have anything to do with the moratorium. He passed two Senate committees with more than 40 votes and only one dissenting vote. And obviously a budget director in a time of economic concern and concern about our long-term fiscal picture is somebody that you need at work,” Gibbs said.