North Fork bill stopped by Republican senators

In a bit of political theater, the North Fork Watershed Protection Act failed to gain passage through the Senate today, April 3, as it was held up by an objection from Republican senators.

Sen. John Walsh attempted to get the one-page bill voted on through an unanimous consent action on the Senate floor.

But Senate rules say that if a single senator objects to the request, the request is rejected. In this case, Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, objected to Walsh’s request on behalf of himself and two other Republicans — Tom Cruz of Texas and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.

Walsh, a Democrat, spoke in favor of the bill, which bans any future oil, gas and other energy leases in the North Fork of the Flathead, noting that the bill was Montana-grown and had bi-partisan support. The bill passed in the House earlier this year.

“Everyone recognizes how important it is to keep the North Fork pristine,” Walsh said.

But there’s apparently no Republican appetite to support a bill by a freshman Democrat, even if it was passed in the House by a fellow Republican — Montana Congressman Steve Daines.

The matter angered Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat.

“The North Fork Watershed Preservation Act was built by Montanans and is supported by conservation groups, business leaders, and local officials, but two senators who have never seen the Crown of the Continent are holding it up,” Walsh said. “This is exactly what is wrong with Washington, DC, and I invite my colleagues who objected to the bill to float the North Fork this spring and see why this bill is so important.”

“Today, the North Fork — and the thousands of Montanans working to protect it — fell victim to a few folks who can’t even find the Flathead River on a map,” he said. “Politics trumped good policy, hurting Montana’s economy and our outdoor heritage in the process. The American people deserve better. I remain committed to working with Sen. Walsh to get this done.”

Tester said the fight is not over and vowed to continue to press to have the bill passed.

“It’s time to work together and do the right thing,” he said, noting the same type of political maneuvering is causing gridlock in Washington. “It’s time to move the country forward.”