Democrats exempting their states from environmental regulations

Politico headline says: "Dems seek home-state exemptions"

Taking a page from the Republican playbook, House Democrats are using an annual spending bill to exempt home state interests from new environmental rules that the party typically supports.

At issue is the treatment of Great Lakes freight vessels affected by proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations designed to reduce harmful emissions. The rules are scheduled to take effect in December, but House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey (D-Wis.) appeared Monday night to have won an exemption for at least 13 older U.S. vessels threatened by the regulations.

While the full details have not been released, House and Senate aides confirmed to POLITICO the outlines of the deal expected to be ratified Tuesday.

That’s when House-Senate negotiators are slated to meet on a $32 billion-plus natural resources bill covering the EPA’s budget for the new fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

The same bill is likely to carry with it a stop-gap spending resolution to keep most of the government operating into December. By slipping the EPA exemption into the final talks on what will be a must-pass vehicle, Obey can maximize his control over the process. . . .