Climate Bill Passes Senate Committee Despite Republican Boycott
Boycotting Republicans left half the table empty during Thursday’s committee vote. (image: images.politico.com)
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed a bill that would curb greenhouse gas emissions via a “cap-and-trade” system, according to Thursday’s Washington Post. The panel’s vote on the bill, co-authored by Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and California Senator Barbara Boxer, was 11-1, with only Montana Senator Max Baucus voting against it. However, this total is misleading; Republican committee members boycotted the vote because they would like the Environmental Protection Agency to analyze the bill further.
The Kerry-Boxer bill has faced significant opposition, as Republicans have objected to potential costs of the bill and the attempt to pass legislation quickly. Not even all Democrats support the Senate’s climate bill.
Kerry is currently meeting with Connecticut independent Joe Lieberman and South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham to reshape this bill to include nuclear power and offshore drilling in order to gain bipartisan support, which many feel is required for any climate control legislation to be passed.
