'So they may try, but there are no takers at this end of Pennsylvania Avenue,' Podesta says. Podesta: Congress won't stop EPA

White House counselor John Podesta said congressional attempts to trump EPA’s climate rules will fail.

“They’ll find various ways, particularly in the House, to try to stop us from using the authority we have under the Clean Air Act,” Podesta said at Monday’s White House press briefing.


“All I would say is that those have zero percent chance of working,” he said. “We’re committed to moving forward with those rules.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and some other Senate Republicans want to offer an amendment to bipartisan energy efficiency legislation this week that would undermine EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas rule for future power plants.

( Earlier on POLITICO: SCOTUS throws clouds over coal)

“So they may try, but there are no takers at this end of Pennsylvania Avenue,” Podesta said. He added that Senate Democratic allies like Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Barbara Boxer of California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts will help “to ensure that we get the right outcome” if any votes do occur.

Podesta said the administration is pushing for the efficiency bill from Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) to be taken up this week and approved.

But he added that “if it passes with unacceptable riders then it will be headed to the watery depths, I guess.”

( Also on POLITICO: Full energy and environment policy coverage)

White House spokesman Jay Carney later declined to speculate on whether Obama would veto the Shaheen-Portman bill if Republicans attach an amendment approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

As for the climate regulations, Podesta said EPA is on track next month — as scheduled — to propose a landmark rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants.

“I think we will meet that or be close to it,” Podesta said. Last year, President Barack Obama set a June 1 deadline for proposing the rule.

The rule is now in an interagency review at the White House Office of Management and Budget.