Senate Dems Drop Energy Bill, Will Focus on Gulf Oil Spill Instead

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Senate Democratic leaders shelved plans for major energy and climate legislation on Thursday, bowing to political reality and probably ending hopes for action this year to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost alternative energy production and wean the nation from carbon fuels.

Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada — who had promised to bring a sweeping energy bill with an emissions cap to the Senate floor by the August recess — said he would instead offer a scaled-back bill focused largely on responding to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The measure would include money for home energy-efficiency retrofits, for encouraging natural-gas-powered vehicles and for land and water conservation, Reid said.

It would drop the two most aggressive and controversial provisions of the energy bill that passed the House last year: a market-based cap on greenhouse gas emissions and nationwide mandates for renewable electricity generation.

Some environmentalists and clean-energy activists held out hope that a comprehensive bill could pass in the lame-duck session after the November election, but most analysts doubt the possibility.

Reid blamed the GOP for the impasse, even though he and the White House were unable to persuade several energy- and manufacturing-state Democrats to pledge support.

Some environmentalists called the situation a failure of Senate and presidential leadership — particularly in light of the oil spill, which climate activists had hoped would galvanize Congress to pass legislation reducing oil use and capping emissions.

They faulted President Obama, in particular, for not engaging earlier and more aggressively with individual senators to enlist support.

A prominent climate blogger, Joseph Romm of the Center for American Progress, posted a piece on Thursday decrying the "failed presidency of Barack Obama."

The proposal is "not going to result in jobs, it's not going to reboot our economy and it's not going to reduce our dependence on oil," said Franz Matzner, climate legislative director for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Robert Dillon, spokesman for the top Republican on the energy panel, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said committee Republicans were waiting to see what the Reid bill would include.

"But what we know so far is pretty weak," Dillon said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-energy-democrats-20100723,0,850966.story

Edited July 23, 2010 by ##########

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

No comment?

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/266411-senate-democrats-abandon-comprehensive-climate-bill/

already posted

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/266411-senate-democrats-abandon-comprehensive-climate-bill/

already posted

You didn't get any replies either.

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

You didn't get any replies either.

you didn't either until i posted

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

The Dims wants Cap-N-Tax. They won't let this lie dormant for long.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The Dims wants Cap-N-Tax. They won't let this lie dormant for long.

"A cap-and-trade policy will send a signal that will be heard and welcomed all across the American economy, and the highest rewards will go to those who make the smartest, safest, most responsible choices."

Oh yeah, them dims...

[peejay 327]

"A cap-and-trade policy will send a signal that will be heard and welcomed all across the American economy, and the highest rewards will go to those who make the smartest, safest, most responsible choices."

While the American public digs even deeper in their pockets to pay for it.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

While the American public digs even deeper in their pockets to pay for it.

Hey, that was the McCain/Palin campaign's statement.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Hey, that was the McCain/Palin campaign's statement.

They lost.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

McCain/Palin

Obama/Biden

There really wasn't a difference last year... People are delusional if they think things would be different if McCain were President than Obama.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

McCain/Palin

Obama/Biden

There really wasn't a difference last year... People are delusional if they think things would be different if McCain were President than Obama.

Larger beer summits.

[peejay 327]

They lost.

They lost for a multitude of other reasons. That is hardly a mandate from the American people for the Dems to push an agenda that will personally cost us even more money out of our pockets and further burden an ailing economy. Cap and Trade is just another tax on energy consumers (the American people). If you don't think the costs aren't passed on further down the line you are delusional.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

They lost for a multitude of other reasons. That is hardly a mandate from the American people for the Dems to push an agenda that will personally cost us even more money out of our pockets and further burden an ailing economy. Cap and Trade is just another tax on energy consumers (the American people). If you don't think the costs aren't passed on further down the line you are delusional.

If you think that at this pace we'll ever catch up to the energy future train that has long left the station and if you think that that won't hurt the economy and the American people much more down the road, then you're delusional.

They lost.

No shite, Sherlock.

[peejay 327]

If you think that at this pace we'll ever catch up to the energy future train that has long left the station and if you think that that won't hurt the economy and the American people much more down the road, then you're delusional.

What I think is that if the world economy ever comes back around, so will the price and demand for all forms of energy. Then forms of energy other than fossil fuels can compete in the real world. Slamming industry and consumers with government induced higher energy costs in the middle of a major economic downturn is not prudent. Not to mention, our world competitors aren't buying into it.