House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., indicated Wednesday that it was unlikely that the House would move appropriations bills, echoing the sentiments of Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey, D-Wis.

Hoyer said Republican efforts to add energy language to some of the bills have “made it almost impossible to do the appropriations bills, which I think is very unfortunate.”

He didn’t rule out the possibility of taking up a spending measure on the floor this month. Appropriators had marked up five bills before the process in the House ground to a halt last month because of the flare up over energy politics.

Like Obey, Hoyer criticized attempts by Republicans in the full committee markup of the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill to bring up the Interior bill by offering it as a substitute amendment. Republicans wanted to spotlight rising energy prices by considering the Interior bill and amendments to expand oil drilling.

Obey has said that he will not hold any additional committee markups unless Republicans agree to follow regular order.

Republicans have charged Democrats with avoiding consideration of the Interior bill because of an amendment that would remove a moratorium on drilling between 50 miles and 200 miles off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Republicans are giving no signs they will back off, believing Democrats’ opposition to more offshore drilling will hurt them with voters.

The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, and there is essentially no chance Congress will have its spending work done by then.

Democrats have said that they are prepared to keep the government funded through a continuing resolution until after the election or a new president takes office.