June 2010 Archives

Updated at 10:33 a.m. on June 30.

Can President Obama, in his meeting this week with a bipartisan group of senators, rally the chamber to pass climate and energy legislation?

The meeting comes after Senate Democrats huddled last week to hash out a plan on the issue, the second time in two weeks. While no consensus emerged on a specific proposal, Democrats expressed a unified message that Congress must pass a bill now, citing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and impending EPA regulation. But many key moderates, including Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, did not attend.

What is your blueprint for how the White House should help lead the efforts to get 60 votes for a climate and energy bill? What -- if any -- specific proposal should Obama throw his support behind? Is the president's involvement a must-have for legislation to pass?

Obama Pushes Bill, Avoids Details

Following the meeting Tuesday, Obama released a statement affirming his support for putting a price on carbon emissions. But he also signaled openness to other approaches and stayed out of the legislative weeds, instead leaving leadership in the hands of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

How do you interpret Obama's statement and the senators' remarks after the meeting? Can senators rally around a bill that prices carbon emissions of utilities only, or should the Senate push forward with an energy-only bill? Is there enough time to get anything done before the August recess?

6 responses: Kateri Callahan, Amy Harder, Jonathan Wootliff, Denise Bode, Mark Muro, William O'Keefe

What climate and energy measures should Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid include in the energy package he hopes to bring to the floor this summer?

Last week Democratic senators were presented with three proposals: an energy-only approach, the cap-and-trade plan promoted by Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman, and a cap-and-dividend bill. Reid plans to convene the Democrats again this week to discuss those options. Meanwhile, Republicans have introduced a different energy-only bill.

Could any of these bills -- or a combination of some of their features -- garner the 60 votes needed to pass? What is most worrisome about these options? What is most encouraging? How do the ongoing investigation and cleanup efforts associated with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill affect the chances of climate and energy legislation?

12 responses: Jon A. Anda, Arjun Makhijani, Denise Bode, Kyle Danish, Bob Bendick, William O'Keefe, Gary Fazzino, Marlo Lewis, Maggie L. Fox, Tom Kuhn, Jon A. Anda, Charles Drevna

Updated at 9:26 a.m. on June 16.

Will the Senate's refusal to strip the EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse gases encourage efforts to pass climate and energy legislation?

Last week, the Senate defeated a resolution by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, to overturn EPA climate regulations. The result, which fell four votes short of passage, set off a barrage of statements from senators and interest groups saying the vote is -- or is not -- symbolic of how lawmakers would vote on comprehensive energy and climate legislation.

Does the vote build momentum for broader climate and energy policy? Should the Senate rally around the energy-only bill introduced last week by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., which has the support of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Murkowski? Does the EPA vote add impetus to the broader package introduced by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I/D-Conn.?

How Did Obama Affect Climate Bill's Chances?

In his first Oval Office address Tuesday night, President Obama vowed to clean up the Gulf of Mexico and underscored the urgency of weaning the U.S. off fossil fuels. But notably, he did not mention the need for a price on carbon, a feature that supporters of comprehensive climate legislation see as a key indicator of the president's commitment to passing such a bill.

How did Obama's speech affect the chances of the Senate passing legislation with a price on carbon this year? Did the president give new momentum to energy legislation sponsored by Lugar or the bill passed out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year? Did he hurt the Kerry-Lieberman bill?

13 responses: David Parker, Gary Fazzino, William O'Keefe, Jon A. Anda, Bill Snape, Bill Meadows, Andrew Wheeler, Mindy Lubber, Jon A. Anda, Kevin S. Curtis, Marlo Lewis, William O'Keefe, Thomas Gibson

Should Congress strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its power to regulate carbon dioxide emissions?

This week, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is expected to call for a vote on a disapproval resolution that would strip the EPA of that authority. Other senators are proposing slightly different approaches. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., would delay the EPA's carbon dioxide regulations for two years. Meanwhile, Sens. Robert Casey Jr., D-Pa., and Thomas Carper, D-Del., would allow EPA to regulate only the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, such as power plants and oil refineries. They would exempt small businesses and farms.

Should Congress endorse one of these options or applaud EPA for tackling a climate-change problem?

15 responses: David Parker, Kevin Knobloch, Paul N. Cicio, Richard Revesz, Paul Sullivan, Kyle Danish, Frances Beinecke, William O'Keefe, Jennifer Morgan, Eileen Claussen, Marlo Lewis, Graciela Chichilnisky, Bill Snape, Dirk Forrister, Charles Drevna

The implications of the BP oil spill, now considered the worst in U.S. history, are increasingly being felt in Washington. Last week, President Obama extended the moratorium on new deepwater drilling for six months and halted oil exploration in the Arctic and off Virginia's coast. The White House ousted the head of the Minerals Management Service. Coastal state lawmakers rushed to provide federal relief for residents and businesses hurt by the environmental devastation. Others in Congress saw the spill as an opportunity to advance electric cars.

What policy and political changes should Washington embrace as a result of the oil spill? Will the spill convince Congress to pass a climate bill or more limited energy legislation? Will it impact the November congressional elections?

15 responses: Kevin Knobloch, Jan Mueller, Jennifer Morgan, Gary Fazzino, Bob Bendick, Jack Gerard, Carl Pope, Amy Harder, Eileen Claussen, William O'Keefe, Paul Sullivan, Dirk Forrister, Daniel J. Weiss, Bill Snape, Robert J. Shapiro