Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, may be the busiest man in Congress. Not only is he heavily involved the development of a Senate health care plan, but it appears as though he wants a large say in any climate or energy policy that moves through the Senate. As this blog previously reported, Baucus’ plans could lead to power struggle between his committee and Senator Barbara Boxer’s Environment and Public Works Committee over the issue of giving out pollution credits and financing the cap-and-trade part of the bill.If Baucus’ committee does get the jurisdiction to write those portions of the climate change bill it could mean the bill’s prospect for passage before the administration takes part in an international conference on climate change in Copenhagen in December would be less likely. That’s because, as the Politico online reports, Baucus main focus is getting something done on health care. Even with his health care focus, Baucus protects his committee’s jurisdiction with care, and thus he believes that since the Finance Committee overseas the money being spent by government and being taken in by government, then the committee should have control over “how hundreds of billions of dollars in pollution allocation would be distributed to industry and consumers under a cap-and-trade system.”
Senator John Kerry is working with Boxer on a draft of the climate and energy bill, and he believes the “jurisdictional dispute” between Boxer and Baucus can be worked out. For her part, Senator Boxer “welcomes input from all six committees with jurisdiction over the complex bill.” However, “input” doesn’t necessarily mean she would like the committees to write their own legislation. If the committees do then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) is left with the unenviable task of sorting out the differences.
Another issue that the Senate Democratic Leadership must consider when resolving the issue is the message it sends to the rest of the Senate and to K Street. Baucus is a moderate to conservative democrat, and so senators that tend to vote along the same lines as the Montana Democrat would probably prefer he have control over the cap-and-trade portion, while environmental advocates tend to feel the opposite. Additionally, Montana derives much of its energy through coal technology and the state is home to some oil refineries too.
As the Politico states, “Montana’s energy mix, some argue, could help Baucus persuade moderate Democrats to support the legislation. Coal- and manufacturing-state Democrats may trust a version of the bill drafted by Baucus instead of Boxer. And the Finance Committee, stacked with moderate Democrats, may be a better place for dealing with a climate bill as Democrats try to find the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster.”
One thing is for certain, Senator Max Baucus is in for a busy fall legislative session.
To read the Politico story on the climate bill maneuvering click here.
Posted: 09/14/09
