Senate defeats amendment to exempt farmers from climate rules

The Senate defeated an amendment in a 93-7 vote Wednesday that would have exempted farmers and some small businesses from the Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse-gas regulations. 

Prior to the vote, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who sponsored the bill, argued that small companies and farmers ought to be exempt because a small group of large companies emit the majority of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. 

"I think we should make sure they are exempt since they are not the big greenhouse-gas producers," said Baucus.

But Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said the amendment would lead to greater pollution and undermine the EPA. 

The vote was the first of three votes being held Wednesday afternoon that would limit the EPA's jurisdiction over greenhouse-gas emissions. Four other votes unrelated votes will follow.