11/5/2009 12:49 PM
ET
(RTTNews) -
Democrats on the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee passed a climate bill out of the committee Thursday, ignoring a Republican boycott of the bill.
Republicans on the committee have protested passage of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, saying they needed time to determine if the cost of the legislation had been fully examined.
However, committee chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., held a vote Thursday morning without the seven Republican members present. The bill was passed by an 11-1 vote.
The bill would set mandatory limits on heat-trapping gases. Specifically, the bill calls for a 20% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020.
The lone Democrat to vote against passage of the bill was Max Baucus, D-Mont., who said he would like to see the reduction in greenhouse gases lowered to 17%, though leaving open the option to raise it to 20% should other countries adopt similar measures.
Boxer said she pushed for the bill's passage despite Republican protests because it addresses "a crucial issue of our time and advancing the bill is a necessary step on the road to garnering the 60 votes we need for a comprehensive bill that will be melded together from various committees and Senators from different regions of the country."
"We found, after questioning the EPA extensively, that the Republicans' demand for another EPA analysis now would be duplicative and a waste of taxpayer dollars," Boxer said.
She added, "The absence of the Republicans during the EPA's presentation was a clear message that their criticism of the EPA analysis was not a substantive one."
Meanwhile, Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the ranking Republican on the committee, was critical of Democrats for passing the bill without Republicans present.
"I am deeply disappointed by Chairman Boxer's decision to violate the rules and longstanding precedent of the committee," Inhofe said.
He added, "She decided to ignore the entreaties of all 6 ranking members from Senate committees with some share of jurisdiction over climate change legislation, as well as leading moderates in the Senate. Her action signals the death knell for the Kerry Boxer bill."
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who co-authored the bill along with Boxer, said, "Today's step in the process sends a clear message to the world that the United States is serious about tackling climate change and securing our clean energy future."
"We should remember that the 2008 Republican presidential nominee called for strong, mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and Sen. Lindsey Graham has joined us in this year's fight," he added. "We can rediscover bi-partisan progress once again."
by RTT Staff Writer
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