Well that just about does it for climate legislation. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) tells CongressDaily (subs. req’d) that he’ll vote against the climate bill
“„“What I have withdrawn from is a bill that basically restricts drilling in a way that is never going to happen in the future,” Graham said. “I wanted it to safely occur in the future; I don’t want to take it off the table.”
“„Graham said his advice to lawmakers is to “start over and scale down your ambitions.” This includes allowing electric utilities more time to meet their emission reduction targets and completely removing energy-intensive manufacturers and other industries from a carbon control plan. The technology does not yet exist for them to be able to capture and store carbon emissions, he argued.
“„Graham also said he would vote against an energy bill approved with bipartisan support last year on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Democratic leaders have suggested that measure may be the starting focal point of energy legislation on the floor this summer. But Graham said the plan’s renewable energy production mandate is too low and does not go far enough in promoting nuclear and biomass energy.
“„He said he will offer up later this year a “hodgepodge of ideas out there that I think form a potential pathway forward.”