Efforts to Stall Action on Global Warming Fail in Senate

Efforts to stall action on global warming and block enforcement of the Clean Air Act failed when Senators reached agreement to move forward on an appropriations bill without taking up amendments designed to block enforcement of the Clean Air Act.

Several amendments to the 2010 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill had been offered by Senators Murkowski, Bond and Vitter. The amendments would have prohibited the Environmental Protection Agency from spending money to carry out its duties under the Clean Air Act to regulate global warming pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks.

 

"Some Senators tried to make an end-run around the Clean Air Act and Supreme Court ruling regarding carbon pollution, but their efforts failed. By keeping these amendments out of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill, the Senate has protected the integrity of the Clean Air Act," said Joe Mendelson, director of Global Warming Policy at the National Wildlife Federation. "The Senate today stood with the vast majority of Americans who want the government to take action on global warming and reduce pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks."