By the Numbers: Greenwire Identifies 23 U.S. Senators Currently On the Fence on Climate Bill

By: Marc Morano - Climate DepotJuly 2, 2009 11:48 AM

Geenwire (6/29) reports, (subscription required)

Excerpt: “[President Obama’s senior advisor David] Axelrod acknowledged that Democrats lack the 60 Senate votes they need to overcome a filibuster. But he insisted Obama would not let the House bill wither.

“The vote is not tomorrow,” Axelrod said. “The vote will come sometime in the fall. I think we will fashion an energy package that will move this country forward and carry the day.”

According to an E&E analysis of the Senate, 60 votes is within reach for a cap-and-trade climate bill, but many concessions must be made to get the measure across the goal line. To start, there are 45 senators in the “yes” or “probably yes” camp, including Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Maine Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.

There are 23 fence sitters. Alaska’s Mark Begich (D) and Lisa Murkowski (R) need to keep their home state’s oil and gas interests in mind, while Ohio’s Sherrod Brown (D) and Michigan Democrats Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow are pressing for provisions that help agriculture and their state’s ailing manufacturing and auto industries.