Baucus Wary of Climate Change Bill

By Kellyn Brown, 10-27-09

Montana Sen. Max Baucus, who already irked liberals for his cautious approach to health care reform, is unlikely to win any of them over with his early stance on climate change legislation.

The Democratic chair of the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday that he has “serious reservations” about a bill crafted by the Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.

Baucus spoke Tuesday during the beginning of an EPW Committee hearing. From The New York Times:

"The legislation before us is about our economy," Baucus said. "Montana, with our resource-based agriculture and tourism economies, cannot afford the unmitigated impacts of climate change. But we also cannot afford the unmitigated affects of climate change legislation. That's why I support passing common-sense legislation that reduces greenhouse gas emissions while protecting our economy.

Why Baucus’ support matters, from POLITICO:

Baucus' positioning on climate change is important for two reasons. First, he's a moderate swing vote who represents a coal producing state that has been skeptical about serious short-term caps on emissions. Second, as Finance Committee chairman, he's got a major stake in the financing of a cap and trade proposal, so his committee is expected to rewrite parts of the EPW bill.

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