Overnight Energy: Lawmakers keep watch on Flint crisis

by Timothy Cama and Devin Henry - 02/08/16 5:40 PM ET

FLINT RETURNS TO THE HILL: The water crisis in Flint, Mich. returns to lawmakers’ agendas this week.

House Democrats announced Monday that they will hold a Steering Committee hearing on the matter this week. The group, a partisan committee, invited Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) to testify, but Snyder declined, citing the release of his annual budget proposal.

The decision angered Democrats on the committee, including Flint’s representative, Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.).

{mosads}”His administration’s policies led to this man-made crisis, and he needs to answer questions so that the whole truth can be found,” said Kildee, who earned a spot on the panel last week.

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver will participate in the hearing, Democrats said.

Meanwhile, senators still have not found a path forward for their energy bill, which stalled last week due to Democratic concerns about the lack of a Flint provision.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said that they worked through the weekend on a Flint deal, but that one remained elusive as the Senate reconvened Monday afternoon.

Democrats, led by Michigan Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, had hoped to attach a $600 million aid package for Flint to the energy bill. Without a deal on the amendment, though, they and other Democrats voted to end debate on the energy package last Thursday.

The Senate is scheduled to consider other issues this week, but Murkowski and Cantwell said they are still looking for ways to advance both the energy bill and a Flint package.

“With our time on the Senate floor running short, we are working toward an agreement to allow our energy bill to move forward,” Murkowski and Cantwell said in a joint statement. “At the same time, we are working to help advance a measure to address the Flint water crisis and hope that it will be brought up as soon as possible.”

Read The Hill’s Flint coverage from Monday:

-Rick Snyder won’t testify before House Democrats
-Flint mayor comes to the Capitol
-Senators still looking for a Flint/energy bill deal.

OIL GROUP SLAMS OBAMA TAX PLAN: One day before Barack Obama presents his final budget as president, the chief lobbying group for the oil and gas industry hit back at his proposal to apply a $10 tax to barrels of oil.

American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard said Monday that the plan is part of an “extremist” energy agenda that will hurt middle class and low-income individuals.

“If the administration ignores that reality and continue to adhere to radical thinking that puts increased energy production against climate goals, it will leave a legacy harming consumers and squandering America’s incredible opportunity to lead the world in both energy production and [reducing] carbon emissions,” Gerard said.

Obama hopes to use the funding raised by the tax to pay for a host of proposals designed to green the transportation sector.

Republicans have already rejected the idea, with key members calling it “dead on arrival” in the GOP-controlled Congress.

Obama releases his budget plan on Tuesday morning.

Read more here.

ON TAP TUESDAY: President Obama releases his budget proposal. Here’s more information about what might be in it.

AROUND THE WEB:

Australia’s federal science agency will cut up to 110 of its 140 climate scientist jobs, Scientific American reports.

A leak of radioactive material from New York’s Indian Point nuclear plant into groundwater is renewing calls to close the plant, the Poughkeepsie Journal reports.

Officials are still trying to figure out what caused an oil slick in the Potomac River across from Washington, D.C., WTOP reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out stories from Monday and this weekend…

-UN panel approves new airplane emissions rules
-Two Florida members form bipartisan climate caucus
-Oil lobby head: Obama tax plan part of an ‘extremist’ agenda
-Senators: No deal yet on Flint aid, energy bill
-Flint mayor to testify before Democrats
-Michigan governor won’t attend Dems’ hearing on Flint
-Week ahead: Obama budget to tout green priorities
-Clinton: ‘What happened in Flint is immoral‘
-CNN schedules Democratic debate in Flint
-Obama calls for more clean-energy funding in budget