Kerry-Lieberman climate bill calls for disclosure of fracking chemicals

The Kerry-Lieberman American Power Act – climate change legislation at long last introduced in the U.S. Senate Wednesday – calls on oil and gas service companies like Halliburton to divulge chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells.

Sportsmen, Colorado conservationists question some aspects of climate bill

Nearly a year after the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act last June, Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., Wednesday finally rolled out their much-anticipated American Power Act.

Notably absent…

New offshore drilling would amount to roughly 1 percent of demand

As the scramble continues to plug the oil gusher a mile deep in the Gulf of Mexico — and as Senate Democrats promote their long-awaited proposal designed to tackle climate change — Al Gore offers a…

Number of military gays fired in 2009 dips to record low 443

That statistic comes to you from Servicemembers United, which opposes “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and seeks its repeal. It’s lower than in previous years: There were 627 such discharges in 2007, for instance. From a Servicemembers United press release:…

Aspen Chamber, U.S. Chamber still clashing over climate change bill

Aspen’s ongoing war of words with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce continued this week, with a Chamber rep standing his ground on climate change legislation and policies.

According to the Aspen Times, Peter Havel, executive director of the southwest…

Udall: DADT waste of time, energy, money

Sen. Mark Udall said he was moved to introduce legislation repealing the nation’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” military policy banning gay service members from serving openly in part because the policy has wasted hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 17 years and negatively effected the lives of thousands Americans dedicated to their country.

Udall co-sponsors bill to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

Colorado Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall joined with Connecticut Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman and eleven co-sponsors to introduce legislation this morning to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which bans lesbian, gay and bisexual service members from…

Senate passes historic, if diluted, health reform bill

WASHINGTON– Senate Democrats on Thursday approved the best health care reform bill they could manage: a sweeping $871 billion proposal designed to extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and slow the growth of runaway costs. It was at once a monumental achievement, which if signed into law would represent the most expansive overhaul of the nation’s dysfunctional health care system in generations, and a disappointment to many liberals who’d hoped the reforms would go further to rein in the medical-services industries most responsible for the skyrocketing expenses.

The hard bargains and steep costs of passing health reform

Unveiling a modified health reform bill on Saturday, Senate Democratic leaders appear to have cobbled together the 60 votes they’ll need to pass the most expansive overhaul to the nation’s health care system in generations. But winning that support comes at a steep cost.

Lieberman retains committee chair with Salazar’s backing

Sen. Joe Lieberman kept a key committee gavel but won the rebuke of his colleagues for campaigning against Sen. Barack Obama in a deal brokered Tuesday morning by Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar and a handful of other Democratic senators. “It’s time to unite our country,” Salazar said after Senate Democrats voted 42-13 to allow the Connecticut independent, who caucuses with the Democrats, to continue as Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairman.