House Decides Against Fast-Tracking Obama's 'Cap and Trade' Proposal

By Chad Pergram

Published December 24, 2015

House Democratic leaders have decided against using fast-track budget rules to ram through President Obama's environmental initiative known as cap and trade, FOX News has confirmed.

The move comes as the House is about to start wading through Obama's $3.6 trillion budget Wednesday.

Special budget rules enable lawmakers to use what's called "reconciliation" which synchs up the tax code with each year's budget needs. Budget rules are unique in Congress. And the typical Senate option of filibustering a measure is not allowed in reconciliation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has advocated moving Obama's environmental plan, known as cap and trade, through the Senate on reconciliation so it won't be subject to a filibuster or need a supermajority of 60 votes to break a filibuster.

However, contrary to an earlier AP report, House sources told FOX News that it remains unclear whether lawmakers will try to use reconciliation to attach a major overhaul of the nation's health care system to the budget, thus inoculating it from a filibuster.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-decides-against-fast-tracking-obamas-cap-and-trade-proposal