Senate Climate Deadline Slips

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has bumped back the deadline until Sept. 28 for the six committees working on a comprehensive climate change and energy bill.

'This was always going to be a huge undertaking,' Reid spokesman Jim Manley told reporters yesterday following a meeting in the Capitol with the Senate committee leaders and President Obama's top energy adviser, Carol Browner. 'The timeline has shifted slightly, to get them more involved.'

Originally, Reid wanted the Environment and Public Works Committee and other panels that deal with tax, agriculture, energy and foreign relation issues to have their work done by Sept. 18. But the sheer size of the legislation, not to mention the difficult task of winning 60 votes on an issue that breaks along both regional and party lines, convinced the Nevada Democrat to give the committees a little bit more time.

Reid is still sticking with his plan to get the legislation through the Senate in time for U.N. climate negotiations this December in Copenhagen, Denmark."

Darren Samuelsohn reports for ClimateWire in the New York Times July 9, 2009.

See Also:

"Senate Ag Panel's Members Look to Stake Major Claim in Climate Bill" (ClimateWire)

Senate Democrats Begin Drawing Road Map to 60 Votes on Climate Bill