Washington, D.C., June 6 – Senate Republicans Friday blocked a global warming bill that would have required major reductions in greenhouse gases. The 48-36 vote was a dozen shy of the required 60 votes needed to move into final consideration. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), would have introduced a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases as part of an effort to cut emissions by nearly 70% by 2050.
Had the bill moved on, it was still more than likely doomed. According to multiple media reports, President George W. Bush is against capping carbon dioxide and other emissions linked to climate change and has stated that he would veto any legislation that would require that.
The bill will surely come up again in 2009. Likely presidential candidates Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who have both called capping carbon dioxide emissions, wrote letters to the Senate stating their support in favor of the bill but due to campaigning were unable to vote.