Even as a Senate global-warming bill remained in limbo with Democrats refusing to delay a committee vote until an economic analysis was completed, hopes rose for a potential bipartisan compromise.
The Senate, meanwhile, appears to be moving away from the bill, authored by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., which would require a 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 and would have the government sell the right to emit carbon dioxide.
Even as Boxer conducted an unusual one-sided hearing on her bill in the Environment and Public Works Committee, Kerry, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., held a news conference to announce they are working on a compromise that might attract GOP votes and has earned a tentative endorsement from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Boxer supports this separate effort and made note of it during the hearing. She said the chamber’s endorsement was “a game changer.”
Kerry, Lieberman and Graham released few details about the new bill, but said it would include a cap and trade proposal. They said it would also address increasing nuclear energy, more drilling and clean coal technology, all initiatives that are high on the wish list of Republicans willing to work on a climate change compromise.
Kerry said he and Graham have already had meetings about the new proposal with White House officials, including Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
The compromise effort increases the chances that a global warming bill could pass the Senate sometime in the next year or two, as the original Kerry-Boxer bill had little GOP support and lots of moderate Democratic opposition.
Boxer, meanwhile, plans to push forward Thursday on the original bill, despite a letter sent late Wednesday from moderate Republicans, including Graham, asking the EPA for an in-depth analysis before proceeding.
Republicans said if Boxer proceeded to vote on amendments or on passing the bill out of committee this week, it would violate rules requiring at least two Republican senators to be present and would kill any chance of bipartisan compromise on climate change legislation.
“Choosing to set aside the committee’s longstanding rules would jeopardize our ability to work together on other issues,’ ” The committee’s top Republican, James Inhofe, R-Okla, warned Boxer, before walking out.
Boxer allowed Democratic members to speak Wednesday, and she and other lawmakers interviewed Democratic committee staff about the bill. She said Republicans are simply trying to stall climate change legislation and should be satisfied with information on the bill the EPA has already provided.
“We are here to fill the record with why we feel it is so important to move forward,” said Boxer. “And why the Republican reason for not showing up is totally without merit.”
