Kerry, Lieberman to Unveil Climate Bill Next Week

Updated at 2:10 p.m. ET

After months of working on a bill designed to win bipartisan and industry support, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) announced today they plan to unveil their comprehensive climate change and energy bill next Wednesday.

"We've continued to work with the Senate leadership and the White House, and we believe we've made new progress on the path to 60 votes," they said in a joint statement.

The fate of the climate bill, however, is especially unclear in the wake of the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Kerry and Lieberman said they are more encouraged today that the bill can pass in the Senate "in part because the last weeks have given everyone with a stake in this issue a heightened understanding that as a nation, we can no longer wait to solve this problem which threatens our economy, our security and our environment."

Their former partner in the climate change talks, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), feels differently.

The current political environment makes it "impossible" to move forward on climate change legislation, Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) said in a statement today.

Graham, Kerry and Lieberman were set last month to unveil their comprehensive bill, which includes a provision to expand offshore drilling and allow states to share the revenues with the federal government.

Graham stopped working with Kerry and Lieberman on the bill after there was talk in the Senate of addressing immigration reform before climate change legislation, a move Graham strongly opposes. He has indicated, however, he could still support the measure.

Yet in wake of the oil spill, the offshore drilling provision could leave Democrats divided over the climate bill.

"When it comes to getting 60 votes for legislation that includes additional oil and gas drilling with revenue sharing, the climb has gotten steeper because of the oil spill," Graham said.

President Obama's adviser on energy and climate change is striking a more optimistic tone.

In one of the most direct connections the Obama administration has made between the oil spill and climate legislation, White House adviser Carol Browner said in a recent interview that the accident gives the bill a better than 50 percent chance of passing this year.

"This accident, this tragedy, is actually heightening people's interest in energy in this country and in wanting a different energy plan," Browner said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital With Al Hunt" airing this weekend.

Yet as Graham suggested, some Democrats are showing renewed resistance to the drilling provisions. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who with other Democrats wants to block plans for new drilling, said earlier this week that any such proposals would be "dead on arrival."

Graham told Climate Wire, however, that the provision must remain in tact if he is going to support the bill.

"I cannot support an emissions control bill that doesn't have an energy independence vision. And safe drilling is part of this vision I have," Graham said.

Earlier this week, Lieberman said the offshore drilling provision should stay in the bill, Politico reports.

"There are good reasons for us to put in offshore drilling. This terrible accident is very rare in drilling," he said. He argued the bill will have more environmental protections than current law, since it prohibits drilling within 75 miles of the coast.

The White House has said the oil spill, which started when an oil rig run by BP exploded on April 20, could change President Obama's plans to consider opening up new waters to offshore drilling. Mr. Obama has insisted, however, that he still supports domestic oil production.

In her interview with Bloomberg, Browner also maintained that domestic oil production must be part of America's comprehensive energy plan.

"What we want to do is make sure that we are producing domestic oil to the best of our ability under the safest conditions," she said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday, like Browner, said that the oil spill should give new legs to the climate change bill, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer John Nolen reports.

However, he added, "I just think we are all going to back off on offshore drilling until we can get a better handle on how to make it safe."

Meanwhile, liberal groups are ratcheting up the pressure on the Obama administration to back off their support of new drilling. MoveOn.org released an ad this week asking the president to reinstate the ban on new offshore drilling, while the progressive group FireDogLake today released its own ad with the same message. Both use imagery of the oil spill.

[rintx]

Climate bill... America get ready to enjoy penalties for using air conditioning in summer and heat in winter, using electric lights, gas in your car, etc, etc because we need to decrease carbon emissions.

Obama, Pelosi et al can still fly around with their jets since THEIR carbon emissions don't count- working Americans will be the only ones to suffer. Way to pound the regular American when he's down.

Don't pass this disaster bill!!!

[1cherokeedoll]

global warming is a scam, nothing more than a scam by those who want a one world goverment. Why would anyone in this country want a one world goverment? And all the major corporations are part of this. Its all about money and power for a one world ruler

[Zann-Zel]

The current political environment makes it "impossible" to move forward on climate change legislation, Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) said in a statement today.
==============
Republican Translation: We're NOT talking to YOU! *picture a 5 yr old with their arms folded stomping their foot* We're not in power so we're just gonna stand here and pout and make everyone else as miserable as we are!

[NPRA_Pres_Charles_Drevna]

Global problems require global solutions. Unfortunately, supporters of unprecedented and severe new limits and fees on carbon dioxide emissions proposed for the United States fail to accept this common-sense truth. If they prevail, America will lose.

Enactment of overly stringent U.S.-only carbon restrictions would have a devastating impact on the American economy and American families, without achieving the goal of cutting global carbon emissions. Such regulations would have the effect of exporting U.S. jobs and importing carbon dioxide from around the world.

The full commentary can be found at: http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/96663-carbon-charges-will-hurt-america


NPRA President Charles T. Drevna

[isanyonefair]

I anything, the Oil spill should IMPROVE the energy bill by focusing on next generation technologies.

Sure the Republicans want to delay. But what is it that they WANT to fix? I haven't heard that yet.

I've just heard complaints! Its too fast. Its not the right time. Its got too many pages.

Real problem is: There are too many in congress looking at reelection instead of fixing the issues at hand.

Ask your congressman: What did you do for our country today that you are proud of? And ask that same question tomorrow. And the day after that, .... They need to know someone is watching

[sjc_1]

I just saw a veterans group ad on CNBC stating that for every $1 increase in the price of oil per barrel, Iran makes $1.5 billion more per year. They advocate alternatives on a national security basis and I agree.

[thebob-bob]

There is no doubt that global warming is happening. The hundreds of top scientists reiterated their support and called for an end to the politicization of the so-called controversy. There is no controversy. Atmospheric CO2 levels MUST be brought below 350 ppm or the world we know will be drastically changed.

Pass the bills!

[Lifeson2112]

Current CO2 levels are far lower than the average for Earth's history. Maybe they aren't supposed to be this low. Who are we to say what is optimum?

[christophercarr]

Oil spills happen, both naturally and otherwise. We know this, and we have known this for many years. But we still need to drive our cars to work, and make plastic, and heat our homes. No one is willing to give that up, no matter how many dead manatees make it onto the news. And so any reactionary measures are likely to cause more harm than good. The best we can do is minimize oil spills by imposing rigorous standards of procedure, multiple layers of oversight, and trying to reduce overall consumption of oil as much as possible.

Here's what we have to gain from getting out of oil (Middle Eastern or otherwise): (1) no more dependence on decadent dictatorships - we can't really go around preaching peace and freedom when we're forced to publicly make out with crime lords, opium barons, and people who consider themselves living gods; (2) significantly reduced greenhouse gas pollution; (3) we can stop getting ripped off by OPEC; (4) we can avoid coming tensions with Russia, Canada, and Greenland over access to Arctic oil deposits; (5) the exorbitant prices our citizens pay to meet their daily energy needs will no longer line the pockets of speculators, currency manipulators, and day-traders; (6) we will have incentives to develop new energy technologies, which we can then market to the rest of the world.

How to continue meeting our energy needs without oil is a difficult problem, and the solution is a widespread and gradual switch to nuclear power in as many areas as current technologies allow, with investments in other renewable energy forms as they pertain to various locations (for example, thermal energy for the ring of fire, solar power in the southwest, hydroelectric power for the Mississippi, and wind farms up and down the East Coast). Such a switch could provide jobs and incentives for science and technology training, both of which would have positive residual effects. We should put such a system in place in as minimally-invasive a way as possible: encourage the free market to take up the mantle, pass the torch from federal to state and local governments?

Read more: http://www.theinductive.com/blog/2010/5/7/our-visceral-energy-policy.html

[Wolf1944]

In what possible way could an oil spill happen naturally?

[jimbom121]

Of course, Republicans do not want an energy bill, they want to drill, baby, drill. Despite what happened in the gulf last week.