Climate change bill to be unveiled without key GOP supporter

CNN | May 8, 2010
Dana Bash and Ed Hornick

Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman announced Friday that they will unveil long-planned climate change legislation Wednesday, but they’ll move forward without support from a key Republican they’ve worked with for months.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, indicated that he’s not on board with Kerry and Lieberman’s bill. Graham said he believes that the legislation, which includes an expansion of offshore drilling, won’t garner enough votes because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

“When it comes to getting 60 votes for legislation that includes additional oil and gas drilling with revenue sharing, the climb has gotten steeper because of the oil spill,” the GOP senator said in a news release.

“I believe there could be more than 60 votes for this bipartisan concept in the future,” Graham added. “But there are not nearly 60 votes today and I do not see them materializing until we deal with the uncertainty of the immigration debate and the consequences of the oil spill.”

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