Senate Democrats give up on comprehensive climate bill
Ethanol is expected to be at or near the top of the list of targets for federal subsidy cuts.
No one believed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could get legislation capping carbon emissions through the Senate before the August recess. Today, the Nevada Democrat lived up to those expectations.
Reid announced the Senate would begin considering energy legislation next week, but it won’t include mandatory limits on greenhouse gases. Most climate scientists think carbon emissions—from coal-burning power plants to gasoline-powered automobiles—are a major contributor to global warming. Environmentalists have long urged capping carbon emissions, and some business leaders agree that putting a price on carbon is essential for the development of alternative sources of energy.
The House already had passed legislation that would cap carbon emissions and set up a system for trading emissions allowances. Reid, however, has been unable to find the 60 votes needed to clear procedural hurdles in the Senate, even after a compromise was floated that would limit the carbon caps to electric utilities.
“It’s easy to count to 60,” Reid said, according to Politico. “I could do it by the time was in eighth grade. My point is, we know where we are. We know we don’t have the votes.”
Reid set himself up for failure by earlier announcing that the Senate would spend two weeks on climate change and energy legislation before taking their monthlong August break. Now he’s decided to move forward on energy legislation, but forget about climate change for now. Instead the bill will focus on improving the safety of offshore oil drilling, promoting energy efficiency and other less ambitious energy goals.
Reid left the door open for action later on climate change, but the closer the Senate gets to the November election, the less likely it will have the stomach to take up such a controversial topic. Republicans and some Democrats contend the economy can’t handle higher energy prices, a likely consequence—at least in the short term—of caps on carbon emissions.
Environmentalists weren’t happy with Reid’s decision to not save the planet.
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