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Reid – Graham Standoff Continues on Senate Climate Change Legislation

The Kerry-Lieberman-Graham Senate climate change bill that was scheduled for a public unveiling on April 26, 2010 remains under wraps. Days before its scheduled introduction, Sen. Graham (R-SC) withdrew his support for the legislation he had been working on with Senators Kerry (D – MA) and Lieberman (I – CT) for months. Graham’s action was the result of Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D – NV) failure to assure him that the Senate would not begin consideration of an immigration reform bill before or at the same time the global warming and energy legislation undergoes floor debate. The Kerry-Lieberman-Graham bill is thought to contain more incentives for industry than the bill passed by the House earlier this year, such as increased funding for oil exploration and nuclear energy and a preemption on states’ and EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

Although Kerry and Lieberman have agreed to postpone the public release of their bill until the impasse between Graham and Reid is resolved, key details of the legislation were submitted to the Energy Information Administration and EPA on April 28, 2010 for their study of the bill’s economic and environmental effects. EPA’s study is expected to take about six weeks to complete.

At the “Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference” in Washington, D.C. on May 5, 2010, Kerry promised that the stalled climate change bill would be rolled out “very soon,” but no specific date was mentioned.

Categories: Climate Change, Greenberg Glusker