Climate bill faces deep resistance in Senate
WASHINGTON - The climate change bill that has been moving slowly through the Senate faces a stark political reality when it is read in committee this week: With Democrats deeply divided on the issue, there is almost no hope for passage unless some Republican lawmakers risk the backlash for signing on to the legislation.
And for all the effort of Senator John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, to keep Senator Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina as his most visible GOP ally, key Republicans are making their opposition clear.
Senator George V. Voinovich, Republican of Ohio, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee who was initially seen as one of the only Republicans who might consider backing the majority, is now helping lead the opposition. He has joined the other six Republicans on the committee in boycotting the climate bill markup scheduled for Tuesday.
“Wouldn’t it be smarter to take our time and do it right?’’ he asked during a hearing last week.
Like the bill passed in the House, the legislation favors a cap-and-trade system that would issue permits for greenhouse gas emissions, gradually lower the emissions allowed, and let companies buy and sell permits to meet their needs.
The bill has deeply divided Democrats. With states in the Midwest, South, and Rocky Mountain West dependent on fossil fuels for energy, many senators are worried about the legislation’s potential impact on industry and consumers.
So Democratic leaders, with the support of the Obama administration, are trying to enlist at least half a dozen Republicans by offering amendments to speed along their top priority: building nuclear power plants.
Graham has suggested that provisions on nuclear power and offshore oil drilling could win his support for a cap-and-trade climate bill.
“There is nowhere near 60 votes for a nuclear power bill on its own. There’s not 60 votes for a cap-and-trade bill as it’s currently constructed,’’ Graham said in an interview. The combination of the two measures, he added, is “the only way you’ll get to 60 votes.’’
