US House panel to weigh measure aimed at White House energy group

Washington (Platts)--14Sep2004

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled Wednesday to debate a
resolution that would force the Bush administration to turn over information
related to the task force that wrote its energy plan in 2001. The
administration has so far won the right in federal courts to keep the
information out of public view. The resolution, sponsored by Rep John Dingell
(Democrat-Michigan), the committee's senior Democrat, would require the White
House to release the names of all individuals and staff who were present at
the meetings of the task force, which was chaired by Vice President Cheney.
The measure, which is expected to be defeated by Republicans also would
require the administration to give Congress the names of all persons who met
with the task force and the costs to produce the energy plan.

Courts have sided with the White House in lawsuits seeking details of the task
force's activities. The administration has been forced to turn over
energy-plan documents generated by federal agencies, but courts have not
required the president to turn over executive-branch papers describing the
task force's deliberations. Democrats claim, and the tens of thousands of
documents released by the agencies have shown, that the administration met
with energy groups and executives far more than consumer and environmental
advocates, resulting in an energy plan that favored industry.

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