The Lieberman-Warner climate change bill was rejected on a procedural Senate
vote today. But while not quite a tsunami, there is a rising tide of support
in the Senate for legislation to control US greenhouse gas emissions.
Forty-eight senators voted to allow debate on the bill to proceed; 36 voted
no. Under Senate rules, 60 votes were necessary to avoid a Republican
filibuster. However, Barbara Boxer, the bill's floor manager, said after the
vote that six senators who were not present would have voted for the
measure, for a total of 54.
They included the presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential
nominees, John McCain and Barack Obama, respectively, and Democrats Hillary
Clinton, New York, Joseph Biden, Delaware, and Edward Kennedy,
Massachusetts, and Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman.
"Today, a majority of the Senate sent a message to Americans and the rest of
the world that they believe the time is now to confront climate change,"
Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute, said in a
statement. "Including statements of support from senators unable to cast
their votes, 54 senators went on record believing this is too important
issue to ignore."
In 2003, the full Senate voted for the first time on a major bill to control
US GHG emissions. It was sponsored by Lieberman and McCain, and was a far
less sweeping measure than Lieberman-Warner. The vote, in October that that
year, was 43 for passage and 55 opposed.
"We lost a big battle today, but we'll win over time because climate change
is real," McCain said.
In June, 2005, the Senate defeated another Lieberman-McCain climate bill
that was offered as an amendment to energy legislation. The vote was 38 to
60, which opponents of the measure said represented an erosion of support
for climate legislation since the 2003 vote. The direct cause of that
erosion was the defeat in the 2004 Congressional election of several
senators who supported McCain-Lieberman in 2003, by candidates who voted
against the measure in 2005.
Despite the loss, McCain said, "We are committed to continuing this fight.
And let me assure you, we will eventually win."
Not this year, of course. But they are getting closer.
Posted by Gerry Karey on June 06, 2008 | Permalink
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