Durbin Predicts Climate Change Legislation Next Year
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) predicted that the Senate will take up contentious climate change legislation in 2010, setting the stage for intra-party squabbles for both parties in an already tough midterm election year.“We’re going to move forward on it. I hope we can get it done this coming year,— Durbin said of the cap-and-trade bill’s 2010 prospects on Sunday’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.— “The fact is we have a responsibility to deal with this issue.—Durbin’s comments come on the heels of President Barack Obama’s recent financial pledge at a climate change conference in Copenhagen. On “This Week,— Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) predicted that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would have difficulties corralling enough votes to ratify the White House’s promise to underwrite environmental projects in Africa and elsewhere.“The Senate will have to act on this and there is not the support right now for that,— Kyl said. “My guess is that if it came to the Senate today, you’d not even have the majority of Democrats willing to support American taxpayer money going to these countries.