Copenhagen and Health Care Dim Chances for Passage of U.S. Climate Bill

The bitter battle over health care legislation, fears that global warming legislation could harm the weak U.S. economy, and the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit to set binding CO2 emissions reductions targets will make U.S. Senate passage of a carbon cap-and-trade bill difficult in 2010, according to senators from both parties. Politico reports that the partisan struggle over health care reform — in which 60 Democratic senators are poised to pass a bill with no Republican support — has alienated moderate Republicans whose votes are crucial to passage of climate legislation. Referring to the health care debate, moderate Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — who has previously voiced support for a proposed climate bill — said, “It makes it hard to do anything because of the way this was handled.” Other moderate Republicans, including Susan Collins of Maine and Dick Lugar of Indiana, said prospects for passing cap-and-trade legislation were dim, with Lugar saying health care legislation has delayed the climate bill “almost indefinitely.” Moderate Republican support for the climate bill is necessary because some Democrats from hard-hit industrial states oppose the legislation, especially if major economic powers such as China do not set limits on CO2 emissions. The House of Representatives narrowly passed a cap-and-trade bill earlier this year.