Acadiana Business

Landrieu blocks nom to protest moratorium

by Leslie Turk

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is playing hard ball with her own party to protest the drilling moratorium.

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is playing hard ball with her own party to protest the drilling moratorium.

On Thursday the Democratic senator sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, saying she is blocking the nomination of Jack Lew as director of the White House Office of Budget and Management until the administration reverses or modifies its moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, The Advocate reported, noting:

Though placing holds on nominees occurs, it usually involves opposing parties blocking the appointment. Protesting a Democratic administration, Landrieu expressed exasperation with the drilling ban that was instituted on May 28 and is set to extend through Nov. 30.
"I cannot in good conscience allow this nomination to proceed until I receive a commitment from Mr. Lew, the President or another senior economic advisor to reverse these policies, which have been so detrimental to working families across the Gulf Coast," Landrieu wrote in the letter.

In response, OMB officials said Lew has received overwhelming, bipartisan support from senators that approved his appointment in committee.
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