Senate

Reid blames GOP for holdup on funding deal

by Jordain Carney - 12/15/15 10:36 AM ET

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blamed Republicans for the pace of the negotiations on an end-of-the-year spending bill, saying they need to take a deal on the oil export ban.

“We’ve made multiple offers to the Republicans that were certainly doable, reasonable and all the Republicans had to do was say ‘yes,'” the Democratic leader said on Tuesday morning. “Saying ‘yes’ to any of these offers … over the past few days, especially the last three days, the ink would be dry. The entire package would be filed.”

{mosads}Senators have been battling over lifting the crude oil export ban as part of the negotiations over the omnibus spending bill and a package of tax extenders. Reid said lifting the ban is the “only major outstanding issue” left in the talks.

In exchange for lifting the ban, Democrats have said they want to try to offset any environmental impact by including an extension of tax credits for renewable energy.

Reid suggested that lawmakers can face two decisions: Either reach a deal and include it as part of the omnibus and tax package, which is expected to filed Tuesday, or move forward with the tax and omnibus legislation without the export ban included.

“At this pace, we’re going to be here through Christmas,” Reid added. “If Republicans think reducing our carbon emissions and encouraging the use for renewable energy is an unacceptable price to pay, we can move the rest of the package without the oil export ban.”

Reid’s comments are a sharp contrast from his remarks on Monday, when he and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) avoided placing the blame for the pace of the negotiations on one party. Lawmakers originally faced a Dec. 11 deadline to pass the spending bill before passing a short-term continuing resolution giving them until Wednesday.

Despite Reid’s remarks, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), who backs lifting the ban, suggested on Monday evening that she was “very optimistic” that it would be included.

But Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the minority whip, said that negotiations over “energy” —namely lifting the ban — were one of the last sticking points.

Asked about Reid’s suggestion that the oil export ban fight could be dropped from the negotiations if a deal can’t be reached, Durbin said that “what you’re hearing are the statements and pleas of a desperate, tired negotiator who wants this to come to an end.”

Meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters on Monday evening that Democrats were “asking for the sun and the moon and the aurora borealis” in exchange for lifting the ban.

– Updated at 4:06 p.m.

Tags Dick Durbin Harry Reid Heidi Heitkamp John Cornyn Mitch McConnell