Harry Reid talked about passing a "smaller energy bill" this year during an interview on Univision's Sunday news program "Al Punto"(To the Point).
Senate Might Take Up ‘Smaller’ Energy Bill This Year, Reid Says
May 10 (Bloomberg) -- Legislation to cap greenhouse gas emissions from industrial polluters may be set aside this year in favor of a measure that ramps up electricity production from renewable sources such as wind farms, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
The "smaller energy bill," which includes a national renewable electricity standard, has the support of "a couple of Republicans," the Nevada Democrat said in an interview on Univision network’s "Al Punto" program. He didn’t name them
Apparently Reid thinks that since the Deepwater Horizon Disaster made expansion of offshore drilling less palatable for Senate Democrats, he won't have enough sweeteners to offer Republicans in exchange for their support on the Climate Bill.
A smaller energy bill would be based on the American Clean Energy Leadership Act, which was approved by the Senate energy committee last June, Manley said.
Here's a link to the The American Clean Energy Leadership Act
Reid hasn’t decided whether to try to pass an energy bill that includes greenhouse gas limits or a smaller measure, Jim Manley, a spokesman for the Senate majority leader, said in an e-mail today.
Last week John Kerry and Joe Lieberman announced plans to go forward with with an Energy Bill that addressed Climate Change. Then Lindsey Graham rained on their parade.
Graham wants to pause on climate bill
"In addition to immigration, we now have to deal with a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which creates new policy and political challenges not envisioned in our original discussions. In light of this, I believe it would be wise to pause the process and reassess where we stand."
Following Graham's retreat Reid may not see much prospect for a Climate Change Bill to move forward in the Senate.
Mitch McConnell's stonewalling strategy to bottle up needed legislation just to make Reid and the Democrats look bad may backfire on Republicans. This comes from the Las Vegas Sun:
Republicans stall climate change bill to punish Reid
Just as the chamber was about to begin a feisty debate on the most sweeping effort yet to address climate change, McConnell shut down the Senate by forcing full reading of the 491-page bill.
Republican leaders say their stall tactic had little to do with climate change — they want to debate the global warming bill so they can knock it down. Instead, this was payback. They were protesting Reid’s failure to win Senate approval of three of Bush’s judicial nominees before Memorial Day.
WTF? The Senate is still confirming the hacks Bush nominated to the Federal Bench? Who knew?
Polls show Americans are overwhelmingly concerned about climate change and are increasingly frustrated with Washington. Congressional approval ratings have slipped lower than those of President Bush.
Republicans risk being seen as obstructing action on an issue important to voters, though Sen. John Ensign, who heads party reelection efforts, sided with his party and was unworried about voter backlash.
Mitch McConnell's vindictive tactics punish all Americans not just Democrats.
In Nevada Reid faces the toughest reelection of his Senate career.
I hope the Republicans are on thin ice with their opposition to addressing the problem of Climate Change. Lets help to crack the ice under their elephantine feet as the election approaches.
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Update Bonus Rant
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Ending the Filibuster is only the first most glaringly obvious step. It has become essential for our survival as a nation and indeed as a species to alter or abolish the United States Senate. To leave this Byzantine Upper House full of reactionary Aristocrat-wannabees in place in its present unrepresentative form imperils the Nation's ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Our government needs to become more representative of the American People. We NEED to either abolish the Senate, or institute a system of weighted voting corresponding to the size of each state's. population. I fear for future of my country if we don't or we may well go the way of the Byzantine Empire.
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