Authorization supporters want Senate to accumulate vote tallies to send message to House

Supporters of the Senate authorization bill are setting a high goal for its outcome on its first vote — one that could depend on painstaking negotiations involving tribal politics and constraints on the White House’s power to halt energy projects.

Supporters of the bill see getting at least 70 supporters in the Senate as critical to motivating rapid passage in the House, where the bill’s critics are much more vocal — particularly on the Democratic side, where concerns are growing about its potential impacts on tribal consultations related to energy projects.

“What we’re asking for is that 15 to 20 Democrats on the Senate side support this legislation,” said a staffer at an energy industry nonprofit, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, and whose organization is pushing for passage of the bill on Capitol Hill. “I think there will be some losses on the Republican side, but (we) also want to send a clear signal to Democrats on the House side that there is broad support for the legislation.”

The Senate is expected to take a procedural vote on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act on Nov. 9, when lawmakers return to Washington after the midterm elections. That vote would require at least 60 senators for the bill to move forward.