GOP boycotts climate change debate
Senator Barbara Boxer and Democratic colleagues
When you’re in the minority in Washington, you often have to get creative to make your point. Tuesday in the House of Representatives, Republicans will take turns reading the entire health care bill out loud. GOP senators are trying a different tactic with the climate change bill. They’re staging a boycott.
Senator Barbara Boxer of California says she got a letter from her Republican colleagues saying they aren’t showing up for this week’s debate over climate change. The Democratic bill is supposed to be "marked up" with amendments and changes in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which Boxer chairs.
"They wanted us not to move ahead with this markup until we had a – this is their word – 'satisfactory report' from the EPA," said Boxer.
Republicans say the Environmental Protection Agency rushed its findings on the bill. Boxer says the EPA report is thorough, but invited the agency to testify before the Committee to explain its conclusions. And if Republicans are still a no show?
"We’re going to be very, very patient," said Boxer.
Not all Democrats are as patient as Boxer. One committee member says the GOP senators are behaving like “schoolchildren.”
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