Key Senators Oppose Maneuver to Avoid Filibuster on Climate Bill

Several senators said they opposed using the budget reconciliation process to avoid a potential filibuster of climate legislation, Environment and Energy Daily reported. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., expressed his opposition to the process and said he believed at least two-thirds of the Senate also opposed it. Conrad added that he intended to have senators approve an amendment barring the process.

Committee ranking member Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who had previously proposed such an amendment, warned against use of "the reconciliation instruction" contained in the 2011 budget bill to move the legislation forward.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said: "We should all have our flexibility" to turn to reconciliation to avoid a filibuster. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said: "We are exploring where budget reconciliation instructions would be helpful to our efforts to address climate change."