A half-dozen bills to control greenhouse-gas emissions have been proposed on Capitol Hill and more are pending. Such legislation is a priority for Democratic congressional leaders, but final action will not come quickly.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said at a Jan. 30 hearing that she didn’t know whether her panel could clear a climate-change bill by July but added that “it is my goal to get legislation this year.” In the Senate, a bill needs 60 votes to avoid a deadly filibuster, but even then the President could veto it.