Climate Security Act Fails Cloture Vote

Majority of Senate Voices Support for Progress on Comprehensive Climate Change Bill

 

On June 6, 2008, reactionary forces in the United States Senate scored a tactical victory when the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act failed to gain the 60 votes needed to force cloture and start debate on amendments to the base bill. The cloture vote was 48 for cloture, 36 against.

 

Although a majority of the Senate voted support for moving forward with the Climate Security Act, the failure to bring cloture means that there will be no comprehensive climate change legislation this year.

 

In addition to the 48 Aye votes on the Senate floor, there were written statements of support from six Senators not present, bringing the total to 54 senators in favor.  Those senators not voting included Senators Byrd, Clinton, Kennedy, McCain, and Obama, all of whom have expressed strong support for the basic thrust of this bill.  Several Republicans, including Senators Collins and Snowe of Maine, voted in favor of cloture, but Senator Landrieu (D, La.) voted Nay.

 

S. 3036, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, would put a mandatory cap on U.S. greenhouse gas pollution and implement an emissions trading system that would give businesses flexibility to seek out emissions reduction opportunities at the lowest cost. The bill’s sponsors say they will bring the legislation up again next year.  http://www.edf.org/pressrelease.cfm?contentID=7965

 

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama have made clear their support for a comprehensive cap and trade program to reduce pollution, and both said today they would have voted to continue moving forward with S. 3036.

 

Cap and trade also is expected to be the centerpiece of a comprehensive climate bill being developed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Chairman John Dingell yesterday announced that he would begin hearings this month on legislative proposals, including the Climate Security Act.

 

Given the importance of this legislation to the peace and security of the entire world, indeed to human civilization, it becomes apparent that, regardless of who wins the presidential race later this year, we need to elect more environmentally progressive Democrats to the U.S. Senate.