US Senate | Grist

The senator formerly known as maverick

John McCain’s troubles are the world’s troubles 8
Posted 1 week, 1 day ago The U.S. Senate can't do much without senators like John McCain. The United States can't do much without the Senate. The world can't do much with out the U.S. The world needs a mavericky McCain.
Fourteen Democratic senators stick up for coal 6
Posted 2 weeks, 2 days ago Thursday, 14 Democratic senators affirmed their allegiance to the profits of polluting industry at the expense of the health and jobs of their constituents. In a letter to Senate leaders, a bloc of senators with powerful coal interests in their states called for "fair emissions allowances in climate change legislation." Their definition of "fair," unfortunately, turns out to be full taxpayer subsidies for global warming polluters.
Wyoming uber alles

How 7.4% of Americans can block humanity’s efforts to save itself 9
Posted 2 weeks, 3 days ago A couple weeks ago I wrote a piece on what's really killing climate legislation: the absurd procedural chokepoints in the U.S. Senate, coupled with an unprincipled minority devoted to obstruction. I'm happy to report there's been an uptick lately in people trying to draw attention to this problem. One thing to add to the discussion is that it will take 67 U.S. senators to ratify an international treaty out of Copenhagen. That means representatives of a tiny minority in America can scuttle the entire undertaking.
News and views on the Kerry-Boxer climate bill 0
Posted 2 weeks, 5 days ago Here's where we're tracking news and opinion on the Kerry-Boxer climate bill, which is now crawling through the Senate.
That sucking sound you hear ...

The real reason the climate bill is going to suck 29
Posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago All the finger-pointing and recrimination aside, there's a pretty simple reason why whatever clean energy legislation the U.S. Congress produces is going to be weak.
Can you hear the faint whispering of Wormtongue?

Republicans threaten to boycott Kerry-Boxer markup over substanceless procedural complaint 17
Posted 4 weeks, 1 day ago Republicans are threatening to boycott markup of the Kerry-Boxer climate bill next week over a petty and substanceless procedural complaint. You better believe Inhofe is behind it.
The whole world is watching

U.N. chief will pressure senators on climate bill 1
Posted 1 month ago Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, said Monday that he plans to contact senators to urge them to pass a bill before December.
Confusion in the Senate regarding allowance allocation 1
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago There are sound reasons for considering allocation mechanisms other than free allocation -- for example, auctioning allowances (more about this below) -- but the distribution of those allowances that are freely allocated need not be a great source of concern.
let's bounce

Yes Men chase Specter in Survivaball suits 1
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago More fun Tuesday from the Yes Men, the climate-minded pranksters who are still riding high after punking the Chamber of Commerce with a fake press announcement.
Less mopin', more hopin'

Seven reasons for optimism about the Senate climate bill 12
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago Conventional wisdom says that the Kerry-Boxer clean energy bill faces a long uphill slog against unlikely odds. Here's the thing about Beltway CW, though: it always forecasts delay, difficulty, and failure. And it's always right. Until it's wrong. Here are seven reasons for cautious optimism.
Kerrying the load

CEJAPA is Kerry’s bill 3
Posted 1 month, 4 weeks ago Here's how the first line of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act begins: "Mr. KERRY (for himself and Mrs. BOXER) introduced the following bill ..." See whose name is first there?
don't get in the way, congress!

Growth in renewable energy outpaces nuclear, fossil fuels 2
Posted 2 months ago
As good as it'll get

Boxer-Kerry climate bill: what to watch for 2
Posted 2 months ago Sens. Boxer and Kerry plan to introduce their climate bill tomorrow. I'm in NYC and DC this week, so it's been tough to find time to write, but here are a few brief notes on what to watch for.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman answers Grist’s questions on the climate bill [VIDEO] 2
Posted 2 months ago Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) is chairman of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee and a key player on energy issues. In June, his committee voted to approve S. 1462, the American Clean Energy Leadership Act, an energy bill that may or may not be combined with a climate bill from Boxer's Environment & Public Works Committee (and possibly an allowance allocation bill from Baucus's Finance Committee) into a comprehensive bill to match the House's. Sen. Bingaman was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.
Sen. Jeff Merkley answers Grist’s questions on Senate climate bill 6
Posted 2 months, 1 week ago
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has come out swinging on climate and energy issues, securing an appointment to the Environment & Public Works Committee, sponsoring or co-sponsoring a series of clean energy bills and amendments, and generally staking out the left edge of the climate bill debate. Sen. Merkley was kind enough to answer a couple of questions from Grist about the upcoming Senate battle over the climate bill.
With bunnies!

Everything you always wanted to know about EPA greenhouse gas regulations, but were afraid to ask 10
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the EPA has the authority and the obligation to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. At a stroke, the politics of climate change were changed. The choice was no longer between legislation or no legislation -- it was between legislation or regulation. One way or another, climate pollution would be controlled by a federal program.

Most experts agree that EPA regulations will be complex and somewhat unwieldy. Industry believes they will be onerous and expensive. Conventional wisdom, at least initially, was that fear of regulation would drive utilities and manufacturers to the bargaining table, changing the dynamic in Congress. EPA was supposed to play the role of the big, silent goon in the corner, tapping his baseball bat in his hand.

That theory isn't holding up too well.
The Max Baucus problem

Is Sen. Baucus of Montana standing in the way of swift, strong climate action? 4
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Politico explains why Sen. Max Baucus--more than any Republican, dirty energy flack, or right-wing blowhard--has become a thorn in the side of those working for a robust climate bill.
and she gives climate a bill a "50-50 chance"

Sen. Cantwell thinks a U.S.-China climate deal likely at Obama visit 1
Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago
The United States and China are likely to sign a new bilateral agreement to combat climate change during President Barack Obama’s visit to Beijing in November, Washington senator Maria Cantwell said on Friday.
Back to work ... i.e. more inaction

‘What I did on my summer vacation’—by Congress 3
Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago
It’s true lawmakers endured some nasty town hall meetings during their vacation, but they still got off too easy. So we gave them a homework assignment, asking them to describe "What I did on my summer vacation."
all the news that's fit to predict

NYT reads the future: Senate Dems consider maybe doing something in 2010 0
Posted 3 months ago
The New York Times gets a scoop from May 2010.