It looks like Senate Republicans filibustered the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act for no other reason than to deny Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire a legislative accomplishment that she can run on in her bid for reelection. Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, who is running against Sen. Shaheen, apparently lobbied Senate Republicans to spike the bill. And then New Hampshire Republicans used the stalled bill as a weapon against Shaheen.
“Senator Shaheen has called the Shaheen-Portman Energy Efficiency Bill her ‘defining’ legislation,” Jennifer Horn, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, said in a statement Monday. “But after its defeat, Senator Shaheen doesn’t have a single legislative accomplishment to run on as she seeks re-election. It’s time to end Jeanne Shaheen’s failed tenure in the Senate and replace her with a responsible Republican who can get results for New Hampshire.”
This might have had merit if the bill was unpopular, but it actually had seven Republican co-sponsors, meaning that it should have easily overcome a filibuster. In the end, though, only three Republicans voted for cloture. It seems unlikely to me that the voters of New Hampshire will make their decision on whether or not to reelect Jeanne Shaheen based on the failure or success of a single bill. Yes, it would be nice for Shaheen to be able to point to a legislative accomplishment, but now she can point to the obstruction of a popular bill at the behest of her opponent.
