The Environmental Defense Action Fund, lobbying arm of the group Environmental Defense, has put Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar on its “Ten Senators to Watch” on proposed congressional legislation concerning global warming.
The Climate Security Act, proposed last October by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.), would limit and reduce U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions from electric utilities, transportation sources and manufacturing industries. The Senate will consider the bill in June.
On the Environmental Defense Action Fund Web site, the 10 senators were chosen based on their possible swing votes in the Senate or their leadership in environmental and energy issues. “Their work with Senate colleagues over the next month could make the difference in our efforts to pass meaningful global-warming legislation this year,” notes the environmental lobbying group.
From the website:
Sen. Ken Salazar: First-term Senator from a state vulnerable to droughts and wildfires that could be made far worse by global warming; Colorado has abundant solar and wind energy resources, but also large coal and other fossil fuel reserves; Salazar has praised Colorado Governor Bill Ritter’s Climate Action Plan, which adopts aggressive greenhouse reduction goals; will be looking at various technology incentives and opportunities for agriculture in the bill to make sure that they work for Colorado.
Other senators include Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Clair McCaskin (D-Mo.), Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.).
