Senate to act on climate bill before immigration
The AP reports: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today that he is willing to bring up climate change legislation ahead of an immigration bill, the first step toward resolving a dispute with Senate Republicans that threatened to derail a bipartisan effort months in the making.
Reid said the long-delayed climate bill "is much further down the road in terms of a product" than the immigration measure, which remains unwritten.
"The energy bill is ready. We will move to that more quickly than a bill we don't have," Reid, D-Nev., told reporters. "I don't have an immigration bill."
Reid's comments were intended to help resolve a dispute that emerged last weekend when Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threatened to withhold support for the climate bill if Reid pushes ahead first with an immigration bill.
Graham's threat led Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, the lead sponsor of the climate bill, to postpone a Monday news conference unveiling the climate bill, which aims to cut emissions of pollution-causing greenhouse gases 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. The measure also would expand domestic production of oil, natural gas and nuclear power.
Kerry said today that he was working with Reid, Graham and others to revive the bill, which he, Graham and Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman have been developing for more than six months. The bill also has the support of the Obama administration and a variety of business and environmental groups.
Reid said the long-delayed climate bill "is much further down the road in terms of a product" than the immigration measure, which remains unwritten."The energy bill is ready. We will move to that more quickly than a bill we don't have," Reid, D-Nev., told reporters. "I don't have an immigration bill."
Reid's comments were intended to help resolve a dispute that emerged last weekend when Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threatened to withhold support for the climate bill if Reid pushes ahead first with an immigration bill.
Graham's threat led Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, the lead sponsor of the climate bill, to postpone a Monday news conference unveiling the climate bill, which aims to cut emissions of pollution-causing greenhouse gases 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. The measure also would expand domestic production of oil, natural gas and nuclear power.
Kerry said today that he was working with Reid, Graham and others to revive the bill, which he, Graham and Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman have been developing for more than six months. The bill also has the support of the Obama administration and a variety of business and environmental groups.
Comments