Democrats have signaled a willingness to lift a moratorium on drilling if plans were tied to measures repealing oil industry tax breaks and requiring that utilities generate electricity from cleaner energy sources.
But Republicans, who threw this year's appropriations process into chaos by trying to force drilling provisions into spending bills, renewed their calls Monday for an up-or-down vote on lifting the drilling ban.
The two parties also remain at odds over a second economic stimulus package.
Congress in February passed a two-year, $168-billion package that sent rebate checks to millions of Americans.
Now, Democrats are eyeing a package to provide $50 billion or more for bridge and road projects, home-heating assistance and other aid, including a possible extension of unemployment benefits.
But the Bush administration, which opposed some of these proposals earlier this year, has not embraced the idea of second package. A presidential veto likely would doom the package.
Lawmakers may pass a stopgap measure to fund the government for at least part of next year, but congressional leaders have given up on passing most annual spending bills until there is a new president.
Negotiations between the White House and congressional Democrats have begun over emergency legislation to continue funding the federal government when the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
But even stopgap funding may be threatened by the continuing showdown over energy issues. In recent days, several House Republicans have talked about blocking any funding bill that extends the moratorium on offshore drilling, raising the specter of a government shutdown.
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noam.levey@latimes.com
