Lieberman: Reid should bring climate bill to the floor regardless of vote count

One of two key sponsors of a Senate proposal to rein in climate change said he hoped the proposal would be brought to the floor, regardless of whether or not it has the votes.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the co-author of the American Power Act alongside Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), encouraged Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to move forward with their legislation, regardless of whether it has the ostensible 60 votes needed to pass.

"Sen. Reid didn't have 60 votes for healthcare reform when he brought it to the floor," Lieberman said during a press conference in which the pair of senators promoted an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate of their legislation showing reductions to emissions at a minimal costs to consumers.

Both healthcare — which, ironically, Lieberman had opposed in part for some time — and Wall Street reform were able to pick up votes during the course of floor debate and amendment, the Connecticut independent noted.

"You bring your best ideas to the floor then let the senators debate and negotiate," he said. "And that's what we want to see happen on the Senate floor."

Still, other key Democrats, such as North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, have said that the Senate would be unable to muster the votes in the end for such a bill, regardless of whether it's brought up separately or included as part of a more comprehensive energy bill this summer.