Senator John Kerry (D-MA), stated that Senate Democrats "may take up a comprehensive climate-change plan after the November elections," according to an interview with Bloomberg. Senator Kerry and Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) have worked on this legislation which has been termed "ambitious." Kerry said that Reid will bring the bill forward when they have found the 60 votes needed for passage. Collecting the votes necessary, however, has been a daunting task so far. No Republicans have voiced their support and several Democrats still remain opposed to the plan.
Audie Cornish of NPR's All Things Considered reports that the "only Republican even close to being on board was Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, but he backed off." David Welna opined that "it's a problem of having run out of juice or out of political capital with the Republicans in particular on lots of issues" but "some Democrats are very wary." Midterm elections approaching in November may be the cause of the Democrats restraint on this issue. Some Democratic senators who are vulnerable simply do not want "to cast a vote at this point that could be used against them."
If climate change legislation does make it to the floor of the Senate, "it would probably happen in the lame duck Congress."
To read the Bloomberg interview with Senator Kerry, click here.
To read the transcript of or listen to NPR's All Things Considered, click here.
Posted: 07/26/2010
