Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
John Minchillo / AP
Sen. Rob Portman says he's going to vote for a measure repealing an Obama-era regulation cutting methane emissions from oil and natural gas wells on federal lands after getting concessions from the Trump administration on the issue.
Why this matters: Portman's planned yes vote makes it more likely the measure will pass the Senate by week's end. Portman represents the moderate flank of the GOP, so his position is important and could foreshadow the vote of others that had been undecided.
The details: Portman says he decided to vote yes after he asked for and got concessions from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, whose department has jurisdiction over the issue, that he would still address the issue of the waste of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, which is sometimes inadvertently emitted from oil and gas wells.
In a letter dated May 4 and obtained Monday by Axios, Zinke writes to Portman that he will "take concrete action to reduce methane waste" within the confines of the Interior Department's existing regulatory framework.
For the record: In announcing his decision, Portman writes that he got commitments from the department that despite the repeal of this rule, it will do more to prevent waste of methane emissions. "And I will hold the agency accountable to ensure that it does."
Who's next? Other senators who remain publicly undecided on this vote include Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, along with Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, according to spokespeople for their offices.
The big picture: Out of the handful of Obama-era energy regulations that Congress has sought to roll back since Jan. 20, this is the only one that is facing an uphill battle. That's a testament to advertising and lobbying by groups like the Environmental Defense Fund, and to the notion that moderates from both parties remain concerned about the environment and climate change, despite the prevailing rhetoric from GOP leaders across Washington.