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EPW Dems to report bill Thursday without GOP support
November 4, 2009

Posted by Matt Dempsey matt_dempsey@epw.senate.gov

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EPW Dems to report bill Thursday without GOP support

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Facing a third consecutive day of Republican boycotts, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Democrats are preparing to report out global warming legislation Thursday morning under an expedited fashion without considering any amendments, E&E has learned.

Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) has already presided over two days of EPW committee action on the climate bill, though there's been no formal debate on any amendments or move to actually report the bill because she's been unable to have a quorum of two Republicans.

Asked if EPW Democrats plan to move the bill tomorrow, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) replied, "I believe so ... It can always change, but I believe we'll go tomorrow."

EPW Democrats held a closed-door strategy session tonight to discuss "how to proceed with the understanding that the Republicans are likely not to participate, which means that we basically, the process is limited as to what you can do," Cardin said.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) left the meeting saying committee rules would preclude the Democrats from moving the bill with amendments.

"Let me put it this way," Whitehouse said. "I don't know a way to take up an amendment without two Republicans present. That's been the problem. That's why we haven't been able to take up our amendments. That's why we haven't been able to take up the amendments that don't relate to the questions that they have about the analysis of the bill. So that's been our problem."

Only one Republican has attended at the start of each markup this week to register a formal complaint that U.S. EPA has failed to provide an analysis of the House-passed climate bill and its Senate counterpart. EPW ranking member James Inhofe (R-Okla.) will attend tomorrow morning to register an objection if Boxer goes ahead with a final vote on the climate bill, Inhofe spokesman Matt Dempsey said today.

The markup is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Boxer said she will announce her plans at that time.

-- Darren Samuelsohn





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