State of the Union Doesn't Change the State of Washington
Posted at 11 a.m. on Feb. 13
While President Obama tried to use the first State of the Union address of his second term to build momentum around a bold policy agenda, The Hill notes that the Washington gridlock that has come to dominate the past few years may sink even some of the smallest proposals in the speech.
“Obama said he wants to use federal oil-and-gas revenues to help wean the United States off foreign oil by investing in natural gas-powered cars, electric vehicles and biofuels… Republicans in the past have discussed creating such a trust. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee, proposed a similar system in a comprehensive energy blueprint she released last week.”
“But the initial response regarding the trust from some Republicans who are vocal on energy issues did not bode well for the fledgling endeavor. A main point of contention for Republicans was that they say Obama has restricted drilling access on federal lands. They said that his plan would take a slice out of a pie that should be larger.”
