Lieberman: Climate bill to floor in mid-summer

The authors of an energy and climate bill are hoping to bring it to the Senate floor in June or July, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday.

Lieberman, the coauthor of a compromise energy and climate bill with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), said they hope the legislation can come up for a vote in about a month, once he and Kerry have proven to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that they're close to achieving 60 votes for their bill.

"I'm hopeful, maybe the end of June, or July, sometime," Lieberman told reporters at the Capitol when asked when he hoped for his and Kerry's bill to move through the Senate.

Kerry and Lieberman unveiled their American Power Act earlier this month, which they had drafted in consultation with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), who later pulled his support for the bill.

The legislation will move, said Lieberman, once Democrats are close to having the votes to stave off a filibuster.

"I hope that sometime in June we're going to be able to prove to Sen. Reid that we're in the range of 60," he said.