The Climate Security Act, introduced by senators Joe Lieberman and John Warner, would have committed the US to cut its global warming emissions by 66% by 2050. But opponents said it would cost jobs and raise fuel prices.
The measure gained the support of a majority in the Senate, including the presumptive presidential nominees, John McCain and Barack Obama, but its proponents did not get the votes they needed to end Republican delaying tactics that blocked the bill.
Environmentalists were upbeat even as the bill was defeated, however. "In America change doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time to turn the ship of state," said Barbara Boxer, a California Senator who supported the bill. Supporters planned to start work next week on a "roadmap" for the next president, she said.
See full story