With overwhelming bipartisan support, the Senate Wednesday passed an amendment saying that climate change is not a hoax. But when the question of whether its caused by man came up, that bipartisan support slipped away.
The votes were on a string of amendments to the bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline that has been under heavy debate since the Senate returned earlier this month. Senate Democrats introduced several amendments asserting that climate change is real in an effort to get Republicans on record on that issue.
The first amendment, sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said simply that climate change is real and not a hoax. In a surprising turn of events, the vote passed 98-1, with only Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., voting no.
The shocker came when Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., an ardent opponent of the idea that climate change is caused by man, decided to support the vote. He added himself as a co-sponsor to the amendment, saying that the climate has always changed, and the amendment was true because it mentioned nothing about it being caused by humans.
Climate is changing and climate has always changed and always will, he said on the Senate floor before the vote. There is archaeological evidence of that, there is biblical evidence of that, theres historic evidence of that. It will always change. The hoax is that there are some people who are so arrogant to think that they are so powerful they can change climate. Man cant change climate.
Two later votes on amendments that said humans contributed to climate change subsequently failed to reach the 60 yeas necessary to avoid cloture and pass the Senate. The first, sponsored by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., failed in a 59-40 vote. The second, sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, failed 50-49. Five Republicans senators voted in favor of the Schatz amendment.
We made good progress today ... there is an emerging bipartisan group of people who believe climate change is real and caused by humans and solvable, Schatz said after the vote. Its a little sad that we had to work so hard just to get to that point because I think the American people understand that this problem is urgent and real, but today was a good day and a surprisingly productive day on the climate debate.
Other Democrats agreed that it was a positive step in their overall fight against climate change and those who deny its real. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., called the amendment votes progress.
I would say this is a small victory but an important one. Were now on record, climate change is not a hoax. Thats the first time, 98 people. This is important, Boxer said after the vote.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said he was pleased to have some Republicans on record saying they agree with the science on climate change.
Five Republicans is better than nothing, Sanders said. But I still think its a sad state of affairs when vast the majority of Republican senators are rejecting science.
Schatz said the climate change portion of debate over the Keystone XL is likely done, but he expects a couple more rounds of amendments on the pipeline in the days to come, with debate on the bill expected to continue into next week. The House passed a Keystone bill earlier this month, but President Obama has threatened to veto the legislation if it reaches his desk. Schatz said hes confident Democrats will sustain the veto.
As for the climate debate overall, Schatz said his hope is that once the Keystone fight is over, the Senate can move on to a national energy policy. He called it upside down that climate change was only part of the Keystone debate, not the other way around.
I am ever optimistic but I can tell you that today exceeded my expectations in terms of making real progress, Schatz said.
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