On Monday, President Obama released his fiscal year 2016 budget request as Congress continues to address energy issues including the Keystone XL pipeline, LNG export legislation, and tax reform. In his $4 trillion budget request, President Obama recommitted to his climate change agenda with a full state of funding proposals that set the stage for a budget fight with Congressional Republicans, who have little appetite for climate spending and will spend significant effort working to overturn related regulations, such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent Clean Power Plan proposal. Meanwhile, the Senate approved legislation (S. 1) to support the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, with nine Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in approving the measure 62-36. Five votes short of the 67 needed to override a presidential veto, Republicans await a forthcoming veto decision from President Obama.
