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Senate Delays Climate Bill

Cap-and-trade won't be debated at least until spring

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 18, 2009 1:20 AM CST

(Newser) – Senate Democrats have announced that they won't be debating a major climate bill until sometime in the spring. The delay, which reduces America's bargaining power at next month's Copenhagen conference, reflects weakening support for the controversial "cap-and-trade" bill as unemployment remains high, the Wall Street Journal notes. The bill strategy calls for capping overall greenhouse-gas emissions, but would allow companies to buy and trade permits allowing certain amounts of emissions.

President Obama is working with Senate leaders to get the bill through as quickly as possible, said a White House spokesman. The delay, however, has raised fears that the Senate may end up putting off debating the bill for as long as 2011 to avoid holding a vote just before next year's midterm elections. "There would be nothing better than for us to talk about over the summer than Democrats pushing a huge new energy tax,” one Republican leadership aide told The Hill.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

An environmentalist near the Great Wall of China holds aloft a bowl and a pair of chopsticks in front of a banner calling for President Barack Obama to "keep promises, act now" concerning climate change. (AP Photo)

Erosion is apparent on the bank of the Ninglick River at Newtok, Alaska. (AP Photo/Al Grillo, File)

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It's really big, really, really hard, and is going to make a lot of people mad. - Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)

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Senate Delays Climate Bill