Baucus opposes EPA climate regs

Montana Sen. Max Baucus – chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and a senior coal-state Democrat – said he supports a measure that would ban the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions and wants Congress to oversee the issue instead.
 
"That would put too much power into few hands," Baucus said of EPA regulations, as quoted by the Great Falls Tribune following a speech he made Tuesday at a convention of the Montana Electric Cooperatives' Association.
 
Baucus said he prefers legislation to be written by congressional committees representing varying parts of the country and views on economic and environmental issues.

It is unclear whether the Montana Democrat would specifically vote in favor of a plan offered by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) that would put off EPA regulations set to start in January for another two years. A Baucus spokeswoman did not respond to an email requesting comment.
 
Rockefeller has predicted he can get 60 votes for the measure and has lined up six Democratic cosponsors so far -- Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jim Webb of Virginia.
 
Rockefeller wants a Senate vote on that plan during the upcoming lame-duck session despite an insurmountable White House veto threat and no plan by the House to act on it.
 
Baucus voted against taking up on the Senate floor in June a disapproval resolution offered from Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) aimed at blocking EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.
 
Rockefeller, Nelson, and four other Democrats—Evan Bayh (Ind.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), and Mark Pryor (Ark.)—voted for Murkowski’s resolution, which fell 47-53 on a procedural vote.