This post is by Mark MacLeod, Director of Special Projects, Climate and Air Program.

Climate Vote 2007

Part of a series on the work of the Environmental Defense Action Fund to enact an effective climate law. You can help by writing to Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has already voted for a national global warming cap and trade bill. Twice, in fact.

And, as Majority Leader, Senator Reid has said all the right things, promoting global warming as one of the top 10 legislative priorities for this Congress and mentioning global warming repeatedly in press conferences and speeches.

However, the Senate has yet to vote on a global warming bill this year. In fact, no global warming bill has even made it out of committee, though Senators Warner and Lieberman have joined forces to make this happen.

Senator Reid’s challenge is to encourage the Environment and Public Works Committee to vote a bill out of committee and then schedule floor time for an up or down vote on a comprehensive national global warming bill.

We know by his past votes and his speeches that Senator Reid is with us. Whether the Senate passes a global warming bill this year will be the real test of his role as Majority Leader.