Dems short on details but pledge unity on energy ahead of White House meeting

Senate Democrats emerged from a caucus meeting Thursday afternoon with a political message that they’re jazzed up about moving ahead with an aggressive energy bill, but major questions about the shape of the package remain unanswered.

Their talks come days before a pivotal White House meeting next week between President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of senators on energy legislation that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hopes to bring to the floor next month.

Several senior Democrats spoke only in broad strokes and slogans about their plans, but uniformly praised the meeting and claimed momentum.

“It was inspirational, quite frankly,” Reid said.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) — who is struggling to win traction for mandates that limit greenhouse gases — called the meeting “absolutely thrilling,” lauded his colleagues’ “passion and purpose” and said there was “powerful unity.”

The energy legislation is expected to be a mix of provisions that respond to the BP oil spill — such as changes in drilling safeguards — combined with measures to boost conservation and use of “clean” energy sources.

“Whatever form it takes ... we agree we must deal with the catastrophe in the Gulf, we must create millions of new jobs, we must cut pollution, and it must strengthen our economic security and our national security, and our energy independence,” said Reid, who warned of the dangers of climate change.

But a key question — which the lawmakers did not address head-on after the meeting — is whether the bill will include measures that impose caps on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other sources.

Carbon limits are vital to environmental groups and many liberal Democrats but face big Senate hurdles — most Republicans oppose them and several centrist Democrats are wary, too.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) — who has authored a broad climate and energy bill with Lieberman — and others all repeatedly said Thursday they’re committed to the idea that the “polluter pays.” But they did not say how that translates into legislation.

“We have had a longstanding principle in America that the polluter pays,” Kerry said. “You will have to see what we come to the floor with, but that is a principle that is going to guide us and that was uniform within the caucus.”

“I have more confidence than I have had in a long time that we are going to be able to pass a strong, comprehensive clean energy bill that makes polluters pay,” Lieberman said.

Lieberman and Reid noted, however, that they must corral GOP support.

“We are going to challenge some of our Republican colleagues to do what I know that they know is the right and necessary thing for America, and we are going to get 60 votes or more for a better, safer American future,” Lieberman said.