A dispute over ending the 40-year-old U.S. crude oil export ban is the last remaining obstacle to agreement on a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said Tuesday.
It’s up to Republicans to decide whether they’ll agree to environmental measures sought by Democrats in exchange for lifting the export ban, Reid of Nevada said on the Senate floor Tuesday.
“If Republicans think reducing our carbon emissions and encouraging the use of renewable energy is an unacceptable price to pay, we can move the rest of the package without the oil export ban,” Reid said. “It’s decision time.”
