Senate Democrats this week will unveil their long-awaited energy and global warming bill, despite predictions that the bill will go nowhere because the oil spill in the Gulf will make it impossible to forge a coalition with pro-drilling Democrats and Republicans.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., one of the original sponsors of the bill, said on Fox News Sunday he believe the bill can pass this year, thanks in part to the oil spill, which he said, “reminds us…that we need to transition our energy system to one that doesn’t depend on oil.”
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Lieberman said the bill will include provisions to expand drilling. “Because every barrel of oil we get from American offshore or onshore is one barrel less we are paying for the enemies of the United States around the world.”
Lieberman told host Chris Wallace “we’re going to have the broadest group of supporters Wednesday when we launch this bill that has ever come together for an energy independence program.”
The legislation, which is being touted as a job creation bill, lost the backing of Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, the only Republican sponsor.
Graham said Friday the Senate should “pause the process’ in light of the oil spill and an announcement by Democrats that they intent to take up an immigration reform bill this year.
It is hard to see where Lieberman and the bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., will come up with the support to pass the bill. Without a strong drilling component, they will never attract the support of Republicans and pro-drilling Democrats. But if they include it, they will lose the backing of a growing group of Democrats who are now opposed to expanding drilling in the wake of the disaster in the Gulf.
