The climate bill is not dead, but its pulse is rapidly weakening on Capitol Hill.
Harry Reid says he doesn’t have time for it. The White House has been largely silent on the legislation. And one Treasury analysis — disputed by critics — that says a cap-and-trade system could cost $200 billion landed with a thud on Wednesday.
The Senate majority leader seems ready to punt the climate debate into 2010, with the Senate already bogged down in health care and hoping to push through a major Wall Street reform bill also this fall.
“We are going to have a busy, busy time the rest of this year,” said Reid. “And, of course, nothing terminates at the end of this year. We still have next year to complete things if we have to.”
The Democratic Caucus is split over the bill, with coal-, oil- and manufacturing-state Democrats raising concerns that a cap-and-trade system would disproportionately spike electricity bills for consumers and business in their regions.
