WASHINGTON – House Democrats narrowly won an important test vote Friday on groundbreaking legislation to combat global warming and usher in a new era of cleaner energy. Republican opponents said it included the largest tax increase ever.
The vote was 217-205 to send the White House-backed legislation to the full House. Thirty Democrats defected, reflecting the deep divisions over the plan. Supporters and opponents agree it mean higher energy costs, but they disagree widely on the impact on consumers.
The legislation would impose limits, for the first time, on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, factories and refineries. It would force a shift away from coal and other fossil fuels to renewable and more efficient forms of energy.
President Barack Obama has made the measure a top priority of his first year in office. The president, along with White House aides and House Democratic leaders scrambled for the votes to assure passage. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has pledged to pass the bill passed before lawmakers leave on their July 4 vacation.
In the Senate, which has yet to act, a major struggle is expected.
The bill's fate in the House depended on the decisions of a few dozen fence-sitting Democrats, mainly conservatives and moderates from contested districts who feared the political ramifications of siding with the White House and their leadership on the measure.
"The bill contains provisions to protect consumers, keep costs low, help sensitive industries transition to a clean energy economy and promote domestic emission reduction efforts," the White House in a statement of support for the legislation.
Republicans saw it differently.
© 2009 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
