The Hill News

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) on Thursday predicted eventual success for an energy bill with at least one Republican vote.

Boxer noted that her committee already passed legislation to respond to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and that the rest of the bill should have bipartisan support.

“The first part of the bill is what got voted out of my committee without a dissenting vote, on the oil spill,” Boxer said. “So I’m hopeful. And then the others are very popular, they’re very bipartisan provisions on natural gas trucks and I think they’re very bipartisan. I think these are the first steps and I think Harry should get 60 votes for it.”

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) announced a slimmed-down energy package on Thursday, with broader action likely to wait until the fall. The limited package would include tougher regulations on offshore oil rigs as well as a modest package of energy efficiency provisions that have bipartisan support.