Congressional Budget Battle In Full Swing-- First Casualty: Climate Change Legislation

Yesterday Republicans tried repairing some of the p.r. damage from their clownish budget-with-no-numbers stunt last week by marching Paul Ryan out to offer a rehash of failed Herbert Hoover/George Bush economic nostrums. Meanwhile, in the real world, both houses of Congress are debating the real budget bill submitted by the president. Yesterday an embittered Judd Gregg offered a snide Hooverish amendment that insisted that Obama's hands be tied as he tries to solve the mess Judd Gregg and his Republican colleagues worked so devotedly to help George Bush create over the past 8 years.

The amendment was defeated 54-43, every single Republican playing their irresponsible obstructionist game-- and joined by two Democrats, habitual aisle crosser Ben Nelson (NE) and, shamefully, Jon Tester (MT).

Soon after, 16 Senate Democrats helped the GOP kill any chance of passing meaningful legislation on climate change by rejecting the idea of voting for it under a budget reconciliation rule that prevents filibusters. Democrats crossing the aisle yesterday to doom the planet were Max Baucus (MT), Evan Bayh (IN), Mark Begich (AK), Michael Bennet (CO), Jeff Bingaman (NM), Robert Byrd (WV), Bob Casey (PA), Kent Conrad (ND), Byron Dorgan (ND), Dick Durbin (IL), Russ Feingold (WI), Kay Hagan (NC), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Herb Kohl (WI), Mary Landrieu (LA), Carl Levin (MI), Blanche Lincoln (AR), Claire McCaskill (MO), Ben Nelson (NE), Mark Pryor (AR), Jay Rockefeller (WV), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Jon Tester (MT), Mark Warner (VA), Jim Webb (VA), Patty Murray (WA) and Maria Cantwell (WA).

The measure deals a blow to the Obama administration and liberal senators who were looking to pass a cap-and-trade system to put limits on carbon emissions blamed for global warming and to generate more than $600 billion in new government revenue. By attaching the cap-and-trade system to the budget resolution by way of the reconciliation process, cap-and-trade supporters would have lowered the number of votes needed to pass it in the Senate from 60 to 51.

The restriction on using reconciliation was proposed by Sen. Mike Johanns (D-Neb.) as a budget amendment. It was approved 67-31, with 41 Republicans and 26 Democrats voting for it.

Over on the House side yesterday, a resolution was passed that sets the rule under which the budget will be considered. It's just a procedural vote but it gave a good indication of how the first post-Bush budget would be treated by the House. Every single Republican voted "no" and they were joined by 4 of the most reactionary Democrats in Congress: John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA), Travis Childers (Blue Dog-MS), Walt Minnick (Blue Dog-ID) and Gene Taylor (Blue Dog-MS)-- plus one disgruntled liberal (Dennis Kucinich). It passed 234-179. I hope Obama is pleased with himself for saving the worthless hide of John Barrow who, without Obama's heavy-handed intercession, would have probably been defeated by a progressive Georgia state Senator, Regina Thomas, in last year's primary.