Press Room

Majority Of Senators Show Support For Global Warming Bill; Minority Blocks Debate

Words by Severance, Nancy

Published June 06, 2008

"The oil industry and their allies in the Senate Republican leadership are squarely to blame for blocking climate legislation. Opponents of the bill by their own admission were not interested in debate or policy, but merely scoring political points.

"It's now clear that climate legislation enjoys support from a bipartisan majority of the Senate. We are confident that the stage has been set for a new president to champion legislation to ultimate victory in the next Congress.

"We congratulate Senators Boxer, Lieberman and Warner for their hard work as true champions for energy independence and environmental stewardship. The real solutions that are to come will be a result of their hard work."

MORE INFORMATION

The Senate voted 48-36 today to proceed with debate on global warming legislation. Six absent senators issued statements indicating they would have voted favorably for the bill if they were able to attend. Thus, actual support would have totaled 54 votes. While short of the 60 votes needed to break the Republican led filibuster, a 54 vote majority of the Senate was on record in favor of taking action to solve global warming.

Supporters today included 10 Senate converts who had not supported cap-and-trade legislation in prior votes (2003 and 2005) and the number of Senators opposing serious global warming legislation had dropped to a low of 36 Senators.

In recent days, evidence came to light through a leaked memo that the Republican leadership intended to block a fair and open debate on the Climate Security Act while engaging in a process of political gamesmanship.

For more information on the climate crisis visit www.audubon.org.