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Lieberman hopeful on Senate energy bill
WASHINGTON, (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, Ind-Conn., said Sunday backers of energy reform are about 10 votes short of a filibuster-proof 60 in the Senate but he remains hopeful.
Lieberman said on CNN's "State of the Union" roughly 20 senators remain undecided on a "strong" measure with a carbon cap or a carbon tax, while about 50 favor it and 30 are strongly opposed.
"You've got to get to 60 to pass anything in the Senate," he said. "We need half of the undecided and we can do it ... and we have got to do it."
The massive BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico underscores the need for finding alternative energy sources, he said, "because the less we depend on oil, the less chance there is of another environmental disaster like this."
In part because of President Barack Obama's strong support, Lieberman said, "I think we have got a fighting chance at this."
The senator warned against compromise that would water down energy legislation.
"It needs to be not just a kind of 'false' energy bill, that is one that gets a few good things done, but doesn't change the equation, doesn't break our dependence on oil, particularly foreign oil, doesn't create new jobs, doesn't clean up the environment," Lieberman said.
"The difference between a really strong energy independence bill and one that just is called an energy independence bill is whether we are willing to put a cap on carbon pollution and a price on carbon pollution."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, also on the CNN program, said she worried cap-and-trade would hurt the economy and predicted no measure including it would get 60 votes in the Senate.
On ABC's "This Week" Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Obama wants a bill that "deals fundamentally with the environmental degradation that happens from carbon pollution."
WASHINGTON, (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, Ind-Conn., said Sunday backers of energy reform are about 10 votes short of a filibuster-proof 60 in the Senate but he remains hopeful.
Lieberman said on CNN's "State of the Union" roughly 20 senators remain undecided on a "strong" measure with a carbon cap or a carbon tax, while about 50 favor it and 30 are strongly opposed.
"You've got to get to 60 to pass anything in the Senate," he said. "We need half of the undecided and we can do it ... and we have got to do it."
The massive BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico underscores the need for finding alternative energy sources, he said, "because the less we depend on oil, the less chance there is of another environmental disaster like this."
In part because of President Barack Obama's strong support, Lieberman said, "I think we have got a fighting chance at this."
The senator warned against compromise that would water down energy legislation.
"It needs to be not just a kind of 'false' energy bill, that is one that gets a few good things done, but doesn't change the equation, doesn't break our dependence on oil, particularly foreign oil, doesn't create new jobs, doesn't clean up the environment," Lieberman said.
"The difference between a really strong energy independence bill and one that just is called an energy independence bill is whether we are willing to put a cap on carbon pollution and a price on carbon pollution."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, also on the CNN program, said she worried cap-and-trade would hurt the economy and predicted no measure including it would get 60 votes in the Senate.
On ABC's "This Week" Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Obama wants a bill that "deals fundamentally with the environmental degradation that happens from carbon pollution."