Comprehensive Energy Bill Dies in Senate

(AP)  Senate Democrats on Thursday abandoned plans to pass an energy bill that caps emissions of carbon dioxide, saying Republicans refuse to support the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said no Republican was willing to back a comprehensive energy bill, a development he called "terribly disappointing."

The decision represents a significant setback for President Obama who had hoped to add the bill to his two other major legislative successes, a comprehensive health care bill and a broad overhaul of the U.S. banking and financial system.

The move also will weaken the U.S. negotiating position heading into international climate control talks in Mexico at the end of the year.

Senate Democrats have been trying for more than a year to pass a plan that charges utilities and other major polluters for their heat-trapping carbon emissions, which contribute to global warming. They are also abandoning a compromise plan to limit emissions only from utilities that also failed to attract the 60 votes needed to advance it in the 100-member Senate.

Reid and other Democrats said they would focus on a narrower bill that responds to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and improves energy efficiency.

"We've always known from day one that to pass comprehensive energy reform, you've got to have 60 votes," said Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat and the bill's lead sponsor. "As we stand here today we don't have one Republican vote."

Kerry spoke at a news conference with Reid and White House energy adviser Carol Browner. The event followed a closed-door meeting in which Senate Democrats decided they lack the votes needed to bring the larger energy bill to the floor before the Senate's August recess. The House already has passed a climate bill.

Browner said President Barack Obama continues to support comprehensive energy reform that includes a cap on carbon emissions, but supports Reid's decision to go forward with a narrower bill.

Reid said the new bill will likely focus on holding oil giant BP PLC responsible for the Gulf spill, as well as ways to improve energy efficiency and increase spending on land and water conservation.

[RobAla]

At least there are a few Senators who have taken their heads out of their behinds long enough to consider the economic damage cap and trade would cause on an already suffering nation. Thank you.

[1renegade]

Watch out now!!! The Dems will try to push through a pollution bill instead that will be far worse than cap and trade ever was to be.

[LIBERALS-lie]

What happened to the fancy legal footwork that got all the other bills through ?

[tarbox55]

Are they still trying to get this passed. I see they've changed the name though from Cap & Trade.

And, after the taxpayers subsidize these green energy companies (why they're private sector - will they share their profits with the taxpayers - hahahaha), the taxpayers will be charged the high prices of that green energy that's forced on us. Many people are not aware that green energy costs 3.5 to 4 times coal, oil, natural gas, good old Niagara Falls etc. In the near future 25% of the electrical power must be "Green". When you do the math that means that taxpayers will be charged between 60-65% plus more than they are paying now.

Ain't that a kick in the teeth, you get tp help the green companies screw you.

[spaceatoms]

Its all good, chaci!

[cleantheDCcesspool]

Amazing that this network site does not even report the increase today in new jobless claims. Do they think obamao took a big enough hit yesterday, or is there another reason they do not report important news?

[sjc_1]

refute the fact that the "green stuff" the rookie pushes.

That sentence doesn't even make sense, grammatically nor logically.

[dmwj2]

@Freddie - do you have any idea what an "adviser" is? Why is it so many of you guys have this flawed expectation that the president could and should be an expert on economy, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, OIL SPILLS... on and on and on...? Obama is a Law Scholar, and a politician. That is what he does. He uses his skills to tackle complex problems by relying on information researched, arranged, and provided to him by aides, advisers, and industry/field experts. Do you understand that?

[tsigili]

The Dems are in control. Inability to pass it, says the Dems didn't support it either.

[Tiddah]

The democrats need sixty votes to pass a comprehensive climate bill. Their are 57 democrats + 2 independents=59. So no they need at least one republican to be on board at first they had Lindsey graham (he helped right a bill w/ Kerry and Lieberman) he backed out the week before they were going to introduce it b/c he said the democrats would try to do immagration first (in other words he made up an excuse b/c mommy said no don't work w/ those bad dems... how dumb

[cleantheDCcesspool]

When dems resent the fact that they can't pass a tax on every single energy source in America, at a time when we have high unemployment and already looming taxes from obamao, as well as a stagnant economy, it sends a clear message that those dems hate Americans as much as obamao does.

[cleantheDCcesspool]

No, you stay here and try to ruin this country because Venezuala is too crowded with your ilk.