U.S. Senate Climate Bill Dies, And the Blame Game Starts in Washington

Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate have abandoned efforts to pass legislation that would have put a price on carbon dioxide emissions, instead backing a watered-down energy bill that would spur development of natural gas-powered vehicles and would increase oil spill liability costs for energy companies. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid of Nevada told reporters that “we don’t have the votes” to pass climate legislation, which the House of Representatives passed by a narrow margin last summer. Analysts said Reid’s announcement means that a key goal of the Obama administration — putting a price on carbon emissions — is dead for the foreseeable future. “Obviously everyone is disappointed that we do not yet have an agreement on comprehensive legislation,” said Carol Browner, director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy. Senators, Obama administration officials, and environmentalists began blaming one another for the failure, with some conservationists saying Obama never made a strong push to pass climate legislation, while administration officials criticized the environmental community for failing to help deliver a single Republican vote for a climate bill.