Senate Democrats advance climate bill

A Senate environment committee approved climate change legislation without Republican support. Republicans boycotted the committee due to concerns of cost and wanting more analysis of the legislation.

The bill authored by Rep. Barbara Boxer (D-California) and Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) would require industries to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases 20 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels. Boxer is the chairman of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, delayed the vote due to the Republican protest of the bill. According to Reuters, Boxer delayed the vote for two days to allow Republicans to add their amendments to the original bill. However, Republicans did not take up her offer and Boxer decided to vote on the issue Thursday. The legislation passed the panel without seven GOP Senators by a 11-1 vote. The only Democrat to oppose the bill was Senator Max Baucus, D-Montana. Boxer told Yahoo, "Advancing the bill is a necessary step on the road to garnering the 60 votes we need. We are pleased that despite the Republican boycott, we have had the will to move this bill forward." Yahoo reports that, to move the bill out of committee without Republicans present meant the Democrats could not amend the legislation, and many Democrats on the panel expressed disappointment that they did not have a chance to improve the bill.