McConnell blasts Dems ahead of vote on GOP drilling bill

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blasted Democrats for pushing a bill to block billions of dollars  in tax breaks for the largest oil companies Wednesday ahead of a test vote on GOP bill to expand domestic oil drilling.

"Once again, Democrats have been faced with a crisis and done their best to turn it into a political exercise rather than doing something to actually help people and create jobs," McConnell said on the floor Wednesday, referring to Democrats' plan to eliminate a slew of tax breaks for the five largest oil companies. “They pushed a tax on energy because evidently some of their leaders think it polls well. Well, so does Mother’s Day."

The Democratic tax-break bill failed Tuesday in a test vote.

Now Republicans have a chance to move their energy bill, which is aimed at an expansion of domestic oil production. The bill, introduced by McConnell, will come up for a test vote around 2:30 p.m. this afternoon. It is expected to fail.

McConnell's comments are the latest indication that debate on both energy bills is more about political messaging than policy. Both Democrats and Republicans have sought to score political points during debate on the bills amid high gas prices, soaring oil company profits and concern about the deficit.

The legislation would require the Interior Department to hold lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Virginia coast, set a timeline for review of pending offshore permit applications and extend leases in the Gulf for one year, among other things.

In his floor remarks, McConnell cast the bill as a modest "first step" in the Republican energy strategy.

“This bill isn’t our last on this crisis. We could do a lot more to increase production here at home — and we should," McConnell said. "But it offers solutions. And every provision in this bill has bipartisan support."

“At a time of near-record gas prices, this is a modest approach, a good first step that takes everyone’s concerns into account, so that we can actually achieve a practical result," he said. 

But the bill is too modest for at least two drill-state lawmakers. Louisiana Sens. Mary Landrieu (D) and David Vitter (R) said Tuesday they will vote against the bill because it does not go far enough to expand domestic drilling and would put an additional layer of review on oil-spill response plans.