Climate Optimism From Key Democrats
I don’t really think anyone quite knows what to make of this, but Max Baucus is seeming surprisingly bullish on the prospects of climate legislation: “There’s no doubt that this Congress is going to pass climate change legislation. I don’t know if it’s going to be this year. Probably next year.” I would have thought that one major reason to be skeptical about a climate bill’s prospects is that it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that key senators like Max Baucus would be enthusiastic about. But there you have it.
Meanwhile, here’s Joe Lieberman making a lot of sense on climate. Environmental issues have long been the topic on which Lieberman is most progressive, but it had seemed to me that he’d drifted away from that commitment over the past couple of years.
17 Responses to “Climate Optimism From Key Democrats”
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November 6th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I’m pretty sure I remember Baucus being pretty bullish on the public option pretty much one year ago today
November 6th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Probs because on the whole, Montanans care a lot about the environment. Environmental protection is even written into their state constitution (or it was in the one I read).
November 6th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
If the senator from Montana is bullish about a climate change bill it has to be because the bill has nothing to do with climate change.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
And perhaps Lieberman’s environmentalism will prove as consistent as his dedication to health care reform.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I seem to remember a similar blog post you made Matt about how Baucus was surprisingly optimistic about his ability to get a good health care reform bill done.
…
Right before he stalled and tried to kill anything remotely good for about seven months.
(Damnit…just noticed Telling Lies said the exact same thing already. Well, whatever, I’ve already gotten it typed up so I’m submitting.)
November 6th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
The setup remains that it is likely in the interests of most of the big players to get this settled in Congress, as opposed to leaving it to the EPA. And in fact the energy lobby is being wedged apart as some segments are playing ball and getting more favorable treatment than the obstructionists.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Ed Says:
November 6th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Probs because on the whole, Montanans care a lot about the environment. Environmental protection is even written into their state constitution (or it was in the one I read).
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Montanans are conflicted. They do have a Montana Environmental Policy Act that mirrors federal NEPA. But the economy has always been dominated by extractive mining industries. They actually mine a lot of coal on their end of the Powder River Basin
Plus what @1 said. We’ve heard this before
November 6th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Remember how awesome Max Baucus’ health reform white paper was?
November 6th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
odds of a jobs killing, tax raising bill like this being voted on in an election year? Unless the Democrats develop terminal political suicide tendencies, I’d guess “slim”
November 6th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Odds of James accurately describing the content and likely effects of this bill? Slim and none, and Slim just left town.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
I’m sure Joe will find a reason to help filibuster any actual climate change bill that could possibly come up for a vote.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Well, let’s be clear, Baucus is sounding chipper because he’s a high-ranking Senate Dem, and their party line is always, “Oh, sure, we’ll pass that.”
That being said, I think there’s a much easier compromise to find in energy than health care. In energy, Dems want cap-and-trade and alternative energy. Republicans want nuclear power and “clean” coal (which more than a few Dems think is a thing, too). Well, so long as you’re willing to make the price tag big enough, you can get all four of those things. In HCR, though, the Dems want more regulation and maybe a public program, while the Republicans want to free up private enterprise to do the job. Those two things can’t both be enacted at once.
I’m not sure Baucus or the Dem leadership is aware of this, or that Republicans won’t drop their desires as soon as we really stop focusing on this (As they did with health care). But there’s a pathway there.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
DTM: the climate bill that the House passed would raise the price of any electricity generated from coal a lot. Making energy more expensive makes everything more expensive.
Pray tell, how do you plan to make fossil fuels dramatically more expensive and magically have that not affect the public?
November 7th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Didn’t read the link, but I wonder if one reason for Baucus’s optimism is the possibility of using reconciliation for climate legislation. I mean, to the extent that the government will be selling at least some of the permits, it’s basically a revenue bill. Does anybody think reconciliation is likely?
November 7th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
D’oh! If only there was some kind of economic system in which the rising cost of goods produced in one manner created an incentive for new suppliers to start providing those goods in an alternate manner!
Sigh. If only. But as James understands, such a dynamic is a child’s fantasy.
November 8th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
“Liberal blogger optimism about Max Baucus’s optimism” would be more noteworthy than Max Baucus being optimistic about something important.
If Congress passes significant cilmate legislation I’m going to be pretty mad that it was so hard for them to pass something–health care–that made great electoral sense. Electorally cap-and-trade is a real loser. Health care could boost Democratic politics for the next generation; cap-and-trade will probably do the opposite.
“Meanwhile, here’s Joe Lieberman making a lot of sense on climate.”
Tee up the football one more time, Lucy!
November 9th, 2009 at 6:27 am
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