Senate Dems Saying No to EPA Warming Regs

The Obama administration is in danger of losing an ace up its sleeve in the global warming battle, as another Senate Democrat has indicated he will support efforts to block the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing global warming regulations.

Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) has introduced a bill that would block EPA for the next two years from implementing restrictions on greenhouse gases from power plants. Rockefeller’s bill follows Democratic Senators Mary Landrieu (LA), Blanche Lincoln (AR), and Ben Nelson (NE) cosponsoring a bill with Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski that would overturn EPA’s finding that carbon dioxide emissions endanger public health and welfare.

Assuming all 41 Republicans would support efforts to block EPA from regulating carbon dioxide, this leaves only 55 senators potentially supporting EPA regulations. That number could decline still further as vulnerable Democrats up for reelection in the 2010 and 2012 elections must decide whether it is worth upsetting voters by supporting the Obama administration on another unpopular policy initiative.

When Murkowski first indicated she would attempt to block EPA regulations, media pundits gave her little chance of succeeding, given the overwhelming Democratic majority in the senate. While she is still fighting an uphill battle, Murkowski’s chances of success are becoming quite realistic.