WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) has confirmed that the House Republican leadership has agreed to his request to use the powers granted to the minority to force two separate votes on county payments today as the House debates its version of the energy tax legislation. Yesterday, the Democratic House leadership revealed it would strip the four-year county payments extension from the bill it would put forward, and earlier today on a party-line vote the Democrats on the House Rules Committee defeated an amendment offered by Congressman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) which would have put county payments funding back into the bill.
First opportunity today to revive county payments funding
If the “Previous Question” on the rule for the House energy tax bill is defeated, the Republican leadership will attach the Walden Amendment to the legislation, which would add into the bill the county payments funding as approved by the Senate on a 92-3 vote on Tuesday. For this to happen, a majority of members must vote against the Previous Question.
Second opportunity today to revive county payments funding
If the Previous Question is not defeated, the Republican leadership has agreed to Walden’s request to offer as the Republican alternative the Senate version of the energy tax bill (which included the four-year extension, passed with 92 votes in the Senate, and would be signed into law by the President). This vote on the Republican alternative is known as the “Motion to Recommit” and occurs just before the vote on final passage of the legislation. For the Senate version of the energy tax bill, which includes county payments funding, to succeed in the House a majority of members must vote yes on the Motion to Recommit.
Both votes represent a significant opportunity for supporters of county payments to overrule the Democratic leadership’s decision to strip county payments from the Senate energy tax legislation.
Tune in to C-SPAN or watch online (click here) to follow the votes. These votes will occur within the next few hours.
Congressman Walden represents the people of Oregon’s Second District, which is comprised of 20 counties in eastern, southern, and central Oregon. He is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.
