Reid plans Dem caucus meeting on how to move energy plans

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday that the Senate Democratic caucus will huddle in mid-June to discuss how to proceed on energy and climate change legislation.

Reid said that after the Memorial Day recess – which occurs during the first week of June – he will meet with the heads of the committees with jurisdiction over the issue. A broader gathering will follow.

“The week after we get back, the first week we will be back here, I will during that time try to get all the chairmen together who have jurisdiction on energy-related matters. Then the following week I hope to have a full caucus where we will just talk about nothing but energy,” Reid told reporters in the Capitol.

Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) unveiled a broad energy and climate change bill last week. Also in the mix is a package of energy measures the Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved with several GOP votes almost a year ago.

“We have to figure out how we're going to move forward on those,” Reid said. “It appears at this stage, we haven't gotten much help from Republicans, but maybe we can during the next few weeks.”