With the August recess fast approaching, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill continued to squabble over energy policy Wednesday, with only faint signs of a possible compromise.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., after several days of resistance, on Wednesday said he would accept an offer from Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to move forward on an energy speculation bill with four amendments permitted from each party. That list would include a GOP proposal to lift a longstanding moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling.

But Reid did not immediately accept McConnell’s latest offer. And Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of the Democratic leadership, described it as too little, too late.

“Every time the Republicans say they’ll accept something, but every time you get down in the weeds, they want five or six more,” said Schumer.

Schumer said Democrats would rather try to pass a package to renew expiring tax breaks, including incentives for renewable energy, such as wind and solar power.

“I think the extenders is more important for energy than any of their amendments....Why should we go forward on drilling if we can’t go forward on extenders? That’s the most important thing we can do for energy right now,” Schumer said.

A spokesman for Reid said he and McConnell were still talking, but that a deal was unlikely on Wednesday.

Across the Capitol, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, called the 110th Congress “the drill-nothing Congress’’ and urged Democrats not to adjourn for the five-week recess without allowing a vote on GOP-backed legislation that takes an “all of the above’’ approach to the energy issue.

“Our members will do everything we can to keep Congress here until we get a vote on an energy plan,’’ Boehner said.

Democratic leaders promptly smacked down an adjournment resolution that will send members home at the end of the week until Sept. 8. The House adopted it, 213-212.