A Gulf Coast Democrat is vowing to block Senate confirmation of President Obama’s budget director until the administration agrees to lift or ease a federal freeze on deepwater oil-and-gas drilling.
Sen. Mary Landrieu’s (D-La.) hold on Jacob Lew, Obama’s widely praised pick to run the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), marks a dramatic political escalation of her battle against the temporary drilling ban, imposed as a safety measure after the BP oil spill.
And it reflects a broader frustration among Gulf Coast lawmakers at what they call economically devastating limits on drilling.
Full story: Landrieu to block OMB nominee unless oil drilling ban lifted – The Hill’s E2-Wire