This is not news, just a pretty clear statement on where Senator Graham stands right now:

“There are simply not the votes to pass this bill through the Senate,” Graham said. “If the Boxer bill were to come to the Senate floor as written, I would vote “no.”

He continues:

“I believe there is a pathway forward – if we choose to take it — that makes us more energy independent, creates sound environmental policy, promotes job creation and frees our nation from dependency on foreign oil.”

For her part, Politico’s Lisa Lerer — apparently unfamiliar with Senators Collins, Snowe and McCain — calls Graham ‘the Democrats’ best shot at a Republican vote.’

Wildlife Promise:

Did you know the American Petroleum Institute puts out a legislative scorecard and voter guide? I didn’t … until it was uncovered by National Wildlife Federation researchers. Turns out Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) got a perfect score.

That goes a long way towards explaining why Sen. Inhofe is organizing a rare boycott today as the top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. Sen. Inhofe must be concerned that Republicans outside of his committee may be willing to craft a bipartisan compromise on energy legislation. Basically, Sen. Inhofe has decided his committee members will take their ball and go home, organizing the Republican members of his committee to skip out on this week’s markup of the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act and obstruct the overall legislative process.

Since Inhofe is such an All-Star, the National Wildlife Federation made him a baseball card:

Statement via email.

EPW REPUBLICANS CALL FOR MARKUP OF KERRY-BOXER BILL

Note 5 Weeks Remain Until Copenhagen

Washington, D.C.—Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, issued the following statement on behalf of the minority in response to Chairman Boxer’s announcement on the legislative process for the Kerry-Boxer cap-and-trade bill:

“We welcome Chairman Boxer’s announcement to delay today’s business meeting. The Republicans want to have a markup of the Kerry-Boxer bill. So the question before us is how the committee proceeds. There are five weeks until the Copenhagen meetings begin, which, according to the EPA Administrator, leaves enough time for Chairman Boxer to work with us and the EPA to conduct a full economic analysis of Kerry-Boxer. We hope Chairman Boxer accommodates this request so we can move forward to markup with a complete analysis of Kerry-Boxer’s impact on jobs, consumers, ratepayers, families, and small businesses.”

Statement from 1Sky:

1Sky Campaign Director Gillian Caldwell issued the following statement in reaction to the introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

“With the introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act by Senators Kerry and Boxer the race is on in the U.S. Senate to get us on the road to a clean energy economy and tackle global warming.  We applaud the two senators’ leadership, and recognize that this bill reflects some important improvements over the legislation that recently passed the House of Representatives, particularly with respect to ensuring we have the ability to clean up old and dirty coal plants, and put an end to the expansion of dirty coal technologies. The Kerry-Boxer bill also responds to widespread calls to strengthen the 2020 target for reducing global warming pollution in the face of escalating evidence that the planet is warming even more quickly than scientists predicted.

However, we can and we must do more.  This is just the beginning of what will be a heated debate: Will our elected leaders stand with the people and the planet, or will they prioritize profit for the dinosaur industries of the past? Polls have found citizens overwhelmingly support climate action and an urgently-needed shift towards a clean energy economy.  And so 1Sky’s nationwide campaign is in full gear, calling for bold action now in the face of well-funded opposition by dirty coal and big oil who prioritize their own profits over our economic recovery, our health, our national security, our planet, and our people.  We have not a moment to lose and it is going to take millions of Davids, and even more leadership from President Obama, to overcome the Goliath that is the industries of yesterday that repeatedly stand in the way of our progress.“

1Sky is a collaborative national campaign for strong federal action to tackle global climate change and invest in building the clean energy economy of the future.  As one of the largest national campaigns in the country, 1Sky combines the force of 450 allied organizations, and 168,000 committed climate advocates, 2,500 volunteer Climate Precinct Captains covering more than 380 congressional districts in 50 states, and a team of 51 including 40 organizers in 29 states working to mobilize constituent support.

Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director:

The Sierra Club applauds the introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act by Senators Kerry and Boxer today. It is time for American to again take charge and make sure that we have less pollution, more jobs and greater security.

This bill is an important step forward to the clean energy economy that works for everyone. It makes America more energy independent creating new jobs with safer, cleaner energy sources that are made in America and work for America. We are pleased that the Senate bill sets a strong short term target for carbon pollution reductions and retains EPA’s authority to regulate global warming emissions.

For far too long, Big Oil and Big Coal have been receiving billions in giveaways while fighting pollution regulations.  The Sierra Club will work tirelessly to ensure that these polluters and their astroturfing front groups are held accountable for their pollution as well as for their sneaky attempts to question settled science and lobby for more of the same old deals.

Millions of jobs could be created here if only the U.S. were to invest wisely in clean energy, innovation and efficiency. This bill can build our clean energy economy — and not let polluters get away with their dirty business-as-usual ways.

Global warming is a very real threat to our national security. As catastrophic weather events increase over time, our world will see more climate refugees masses of people forced to move, causing clashes over borders and dwindling resources like food, fuel and water. A strong clean energy bill is essential to protecting our security.

We look forward to engaging our activists and working with the Senate on this historic effort.

Statement from Greenpeace:

WASHINGTON—In response to the draft climate legislation introduced today by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Greenpeace USA Global Warming Campaign Director Damon Moglen issued the following statement:

“While the language the Senate unveiled today contains some improvements over the House bill, it fails to commit the US to meaningful, science-based greenhouse gas emissions reductions needed to protect us from runaway climate change.  This proposal meets neither the needs of science nor those of the international community, which is currently negotiating the landmark climate treaty.

“This proposal comes as climate science increasingly suggests that global warming is advancing even more quickly and more broadly than predicted. A UN report released just last week projects the planet is on track to warm beyond 2 degrees Celsius, a threshold climate scientists say would create an unacceptable risk for a global climate catastrophe.  Despite this urgency, the legislation only proposes to cut emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 while the Nobel Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that developed countries must cut emissions at least 25% – 40% under 1990 levels by 2020.

“The threat of runaway global warming has prompted countries such as Japan, India, Indonesia and China to commit to increasingly ambitious emissions reductions in recent weeks. The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), low-lying island nations whose very existence is threatened by sea level rise, urged world leaders last week to preserve their countries’ livelihood and survival by ensuring that global temperatures be kept as far below 1.5 degrees Celsius as possible.

“For years there has been scientific consensus on the perils of global warming. Now there is increasingly international political consensus on the need for bold, immediate, and coordinated action by world leaders. Unfortunately, what is still missing is a plan from the U.S. that matches our historic responsibility to address the crisis and the scale of the threat we all face. With the deadline for action at the Copenhagen Climate Summit fast approaching, we urge President Obama to assume leadership for global warming policy and to commit to negotiate a fair, ambitious and binding treaty in line with the science and not the demands of the fossil fuel industry.”

Kerry.Senate.Gov:

In this time of economic challenge, we have a unique opportunity to put Americans back to work and take charge of our security, our energy future and the fate of our planet. We have the chance to reclaim our energy destiny.For too long, Washington has let oil companies, lobbyists, and special interests maximize their profits and minimize our progress. Our dependence on foreign oil has hurt our economy, helped our enemies, and put our national security at risk. It’s time to invest in energy solutions that are made in America, and work for America. It’s time to take back control.

This bill will get tough on corporate pollution and put American ingenuity to work to dramatically improve every facet of the way America generates and uses energy. It will create millions of new, good-paying jobs, protect our air and water from dangerous pollution, and secure our children’s future by making America more energy independent. And it does not raise the federal deficit by one single dime.

For more information see Senator Kerry’s Op-Ed in Politico.

Here is an overview of the bill:

Overview –

Here is a section-by-section summary:

SectionbySectionSummary –

Here is the full text of the legislation:

bill –

Greenwire:

“Any Senate energy and climate bill should provide statutory guidance to harness this important resource and stimulate and support even more activity in this sector of our nation’s diverse energy portfolio,” states the letter from Sens. Michael Bennett (D-Colo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), David Vitter (R-La.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska).

Natural gas provides a fifth of U.S. electric power and also powers some vehicles, such as municipal buses. Its lower carbon emissions — along with new U.S. supplies available through increased shale gas development — are prompting calls to expand the fuel’s role in climate policy.

Here is the letter the nine Senators sent to Chairwoman Boxer:

document_gw_02 –

A group of more than 300 organizations sent a letter (below) this morning to Senator Barbara Boxer urging her to introduce a stronger climate bill in the Senate than what the House of Representatives was able to pass on June 26th. Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, will be introducing legislation with Senator Kerry in the coming weeks. This development comes in stark opposition to a spate of recent fraudulent letters in opposition to climate legislation, paid for by the coal industry.

Here is the letter:

300+GrpLetter-1 -

Here is the press release:

BoxerLetterRelease –

Washington Post:

The Post asked politicians, academics and others whether the health-care debate has made it unlikely that climate change legislation will be passed in the near future. Below are contributions from Steven F. Hayward, Kenneth P. Green, James M. Inhofe, Geoff Garin, Tony Fratto, Steve Seidel, David G. Hawkins, Harold Ford Jr., Kay Baily Hutchison.

Here is Senator Boxer’s statement:

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D-Calif.)

Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

As we are moving to address some of our nation’s great challenges — revitalizing our economy, putting Americans back to work and passing health insurance reform — scientists are telling us we have a short window to take the steps that are needed to avoid the ravages of global warming. We must also act quickly to ensure America leads the world in clean energy technology. We need to confront all of these issues; we don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing. By creating powerful incentives for clean energy, the bill that Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and I will introduce in September will restore our economy and create jobs at home while reducing carbon pollution and making us less dependent on foreign oil. John Doerr — one of the nation’s leading venture capitalists, who helped launch Google and Amazon.com — has predicted that the investment capital that will flow into clean energy will dwarf the amount invested in high-tech and biotech combined. It will create millions of jobs in America — building wind turbines, installing solar panels on homes and producing a new fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles.

We can successfully address all of these challenges. Our forebears have set the pace ever since our nation was founded. President Obama has reminded us that America built the transcontinental railroad and established the National Academy of Sciences in the midst of the Civil War. In the 1960s, we passed historic civil rights legislation even as we took on the challenge of going to the moon. At the end of the day, leaders have to lead when action is needed.