Sea Grant Delegates --

Here is the latest on the movement of the CARA legislation in the U.S. Senate.  The markup of a CARA bill in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Sen. Murkowski of Alaska, was postponed from this week to June 27th and 28th.  According to Kelly Johnson, Murkowski's staff person on this issue, the Chairman is determined to get the bill out of his Committee before the July 4 recess.  The Committee is also deeply engaged in an electric deregulation bill which has created some delay.

 

As far as the Senate as a whole is concerned, the picture is optimistic.  Senate staff believe they would have 61 favorable votes on the floor if the vote were to take place today.  Altogether, 51 Senators have cosponsored one or another CARA-type bill.  There is a very aggressive effort by supporters of CARA to increase these numbers. 

 

Both Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi and Minority Leader Tom Daschle are supportive, and are waiting for the Committee process to play out.  And that is the rub.  The Energy Committee is heavily weighted with western Senators who are skeptical of the bill because of property rights concerns.  So far, there are not the necessary votes to report the bill out of Committee. 

Kelly mentioned that discussions are underway among the staff of Senate Committees with jurisdiction over portions of the bill, which include the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; the Commerce Committee; and the Environment and Public Works Committee.

I will keep you posted on further developments.  Please let me know if you

have any questions.

Christophe A. G. Tulou

Christophe Tulou Associates

2122 California Street, N.W. Suite 655

Washington, D.C.  20008

(202) 387-9440 (office)

(202) 387-9445 (fax)

e-mail:  ctulou@erols.com