Earth Equity News

Some Dems Balk at Controversial Budget Maneuver for Climate Bill. By Walter Alarkon, The Hill, February 24, 2009. "A growing group of Senate Democrats said they would oppose the use of budget process rules to ram climate change legislation and other hot-button items past Republican filibusters. The group, which includes Sens. Robert Byrd (W.Va.), Kent Conrad (N.D.) and other centrists, don't want a bill regulating carbon emissions to pass as part of the budget reconciliation process, during which bills only need a simple majority to pass. Budget reconciliation bills aren't subject to a filibuster, which would require 60 votes to break... Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who sponsored an emissions regulation bill that failed to get the necessary 60 votes last year, signaled Tuesday that she was open to using the reconciliation process to pass her proposal. Boxer noted that the bill could generate revenue for the government and is thus related to the budget. The government revenue would come from the sale of carbon emissions credits that emissions-producing companies would be required to have under a cap-and-trade system... Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said the legislation needs to be fully debated, especially since the debate on budget reconciliation votes is dominated by arguments over spending instead of the substance of legislation... President Obama supports a cap-and-trade emissions regulation bill. His budget director, Peter Orszag, has yet to rule out the use of the reconciliation process for other controversial items, including healthcare reform. Obama's supporters on the left are urging Democratic senators to find ways to pass bills without needing 60 votes."