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US climate change bill blocked
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by Rachel Nixon | June 6, 2008 at 09:35 am
162 views | 2 Recommendations | 1 comment
US lawmakers have blocked a much-anticipated bill on climate change, after Republicans vowed it would be too expensive for the economy.
A US attempt to establish a system of caps and tax relief to cut carbon emissions has been blocked in Congress.
The bill was backed by most senators, but did not get the 60 votes needed to stop a delaying tactic - a filibuster - used by the bill's opponents.
Even if it had succeeded in passing Congress, President George W Bush had pledged to veto the bill.
Lawmakers will now wait until next year - when there will be a new president - before attempting to pass a new bill.
Tax relief
The bill - sponsored by Republican John Warner and Independent Joe Lieberman - would have introduced caps on carbon dioxide emissions form power plants, oil refineries and factories.
Carbon producers would have been granted emissions allowances, which they would have been able to trade with one another, providing them with an incentive to cut their emissions.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 10:02 on June 6th, 2008
Rachel Nixon, I like this story. It's good stuff.
That a pair like Joe and John sponsored this shows that it was important and not part of a nutball lefty flight of fancy. Read a story before this bill came up and saw a quote from one of the OK Senators. He argued that if we do this it will result in our jobs going to India and China. Well, I'm not sure what the tag on his shirt reads, but all mine were made over there already. Seems he may be a bit behind in reading the business pages.