The White House today threatened to veto a resolution from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, disapproving of EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

The veto threat, which was expected, comes as the Senate prepares to vote Thursday on the Murkowski resolution -- in effect, holding its first major climate change vote under the Obama administration.

"The Administration believes that comprehensive energy and climate legislation is the most effective way to transition to a clean energy economy that will create jobs, protect the environment, and increase national security," according to a Statement of Administration Policy released today. Murkowski's resolution "would do just the opposite; it would increase the Nation's dependence on oil and other fossil fuels and block efforts to cut pollution that threatens our health and well-being."

The statement -- like an op-ed penned this week by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson -- tries to link the resolution to the biggest energy story of the moment, arguing that Murkowski's move would "undermine the Administration's efforts to reduce the negative impacts of pollution and the risks associated with environmental catastrophes, like the ongoing BP oil spill."

But Murkowski -- flanked by nearly a dozen fellow Senate Republicans at a press conference today -- rejected the administration's effort to link her resolution to the spill. "Ultimately, this resolution is about protecting the economy and preventing agency overreach," she said. "It's as simple as that."

"There is an attempt to turn the attention of the American people away with what's happening in respect to the oil spill and saying what we should be doing to protect the environment is give all of this new power to the EPA," said Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah. "This is a bait-and-switch political move."

Even aside from the veto threat, Murkowski faces an uphill battle just to get the necessary majority support for her resolution -- which cannot be amended or filibustered.

She has 40 co-sponsors, including Democrats Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. Some centrists in both parties who are not co-sponsors -- including Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Scott Brown, R-Mass., and Susan Collins, R-Maine -- are still considering whether to vote for it. One centrist, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said today she is "probably a no vote because [Murkowski] included cars and trucks."

Administration officials have argued that the resolution would hamper EPA's clean cars program and other efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. Murkowski has countered that her resolution would not affect agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from ramping up fuel efficiency standards and pursuing other means of reducing emissions.

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