Politics

Dorgan: No Climate Bill This Year

By Sunlight Foundation & Participatory Politics Foundation

The retiring Sen. Byron Dorgan [D, ND] says what most everybody’s been suspecting given the political capital it tool for the Democrats to get even this far on health care reform. Reuters:

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan said on Tuesday he did not think the Senate would pass climate change legislation this year, but instead would focus on separate energy legislation that would require more electricity supplies to be generated from renewable sources and expand offshore drilling into the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Remember, the previous session of Congress tried and then gave up on passing climate change legislation, and instead passed a comprehensive energy bill. If the Democrats can’t do climate change this year with the biggest congressional majority that either party has had since the ‘70s, it’s hard to imagine it getting done in the next session when they are expected to hold a slim majority in both chambers at best.

p.s.: There is a climate bill pending in the Senate this session and it has even been approved by the Committee on Environment and Public Works. You can learn all about it here:

S. 1733 – Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act >>

Full post as published by Open Congress on January 19, 2010 (boomark / email).