Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.): "As Kerry noted, House members put themselves on the line when they approved a climate bill earlier this year. But the health backlash is only the latest roadblock in the Senate, and it's not at all clear that supporters will be able to clear all - or even any - of them.
"It will take a lot of work," said Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.). ‘We need to take a break around here and step back before we try anything of any controversy.'" (
GOP warns of harsh climate on energy bill, Politico)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.): "Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said it would be good to take a break between two bills where senators have considerable differences. ‘Once health care is over, we've got to take everyone's temperature,' she said. ‘I'm pretty new but I've got to tell you, after you do one really, really big, really, really hard thing that makes everybody mad, I don't think anybody is excited about doing another really, really big thing that's really, really hard, that makes everybody mad.'" (
Financial reform debate may influence future of cap and trade, E&E News)
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.): "When they do move into the environment and energy arena, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said he would prefer Congress work on a bill that he plans to introduce with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) that curbs conventional air pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury. Past versions of the legislation have also included a limit on carbon dioxide emissions, but Carper said he would leave that debate for later.
‘We're not going to start there,' Carper said. ‘We're going to start with three of those P's. And we'll leave the last of those out for now.'" (Senate Dems urge short-term focus on jobs, cap-and-trade delay, E&E News)
Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska): Begich was asked about cap-and-trade legislation to deal with climate change, and said he thought that didn't have as much momentum in Congress as it did last year. Instead, he said he would focus on good energy legislation, and noted that such a bill would address the same issues as a climate bill -- developing new energy sources and new energy production technology, and finding more efficient means of delivering energy, would in effect help to curb emissions.
‘If you get into that (climate change) debate, what's the goal? Energy," Begich said. "I think that's the better use of our time.'" (
Begich: Looks to long term: Senator: Alaska needs sustainable solutions, not year-to-year deals, Peninsula Clarion)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.): "‘I think it's clear from the hiatus that a large cap-and-trade bill isn't going to go ahead at this time,' said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)."
Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.): "Until that work is done, supporters of legislation in the Senate will have a hard time overcoming the objections of manufacturing-state Democrats, who don't want to see the United States commit to reducing emissions unless China is doing the same.
‘If China will not let us verify, we're going to have a heck of a time here,' said Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.). "An agreement's no good if you can't verify.'" (
Copenhagen fizzle won't help bill, Politico)
Sen. Robert Casey (D-Pa.): "Several influential Senate Democrats from around the country yesterday questioned the political wisdom of diving headfirst into a sweeping climate change and energy package when voters are more concerned about jobs and the state of the economy. From Pennsylvania to California, the senators urged President Obama to focus Congress' attention on tackling the nation's double-digit unemployment rate, otherwise they would face the same voter angst that Republican Scott Brown used to ride to victory Tuesday in the Massachusetts special election to succeed the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.
"There's only so much time in a day that people can digest or get a sense what's happening in Washington," said Sen. Robert Casey (D-Pa). "And if they hear, 'Big, big bill, lots of debate and controversy' and they don't hear 'jobs' and they don't hear 'short term,' we're making a mistake." (
Senate Dems urge short-term focus on jobs, cap-and-trade delay, E&ENews)
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.): "Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said the substance of the ultimate global warming and energy package will make or break the bill. Still, he doubted Democrats would have the issue on their agenda at the start of the year.
‘I think that there will be a greater focus on jobs and the economy,' Levin said. ‘I don't think that means they're going to not address climate change, but I don't think it will have quite the prominence that jobs and the economy are going to have.'" (
Senate Dems urge short-term focus on jobs, cap-and-trade delay, E&ENews)
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind): "‘We need to deal with the phenomena of global warming, but I think it's very difficult in the kind of economic circumstances we have right now,' said Indiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, who called passage of any economy-wide cap and trade ‘unlikely.'" (Dems to W.H.: Drop cap-and-trade Politico)
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, (D-N.M.): "The chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said Tuesday that it's unclear whether Congress will be able to pass cap and trade legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions this year. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said there's no consensus on what form a cap-and-trade system would take, but strong desire exists in both the Senate and House to pass other energy-related bills that would curb pollution blamed for global warming. Bingaman said the concern is that if Congress does not move forward on cap-and-trade legislation, emission reductions will be forced by federal regulators. "That will also drive up utility rates," he said. ‘The question is what will drive up utility rates the least, so that's what we're still trying to determine...There's no simple, one solution to the problem. There's a whole range of things we need to be doing more," Bingaman said." (Bingaman: Cap and Trade Bill Unlikely This Year, AP)
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