Arlen Specter's Climate Change Politics: What His Switch Means

Arlen Specter's Climate Change Politics: What His Switch Means

So what are his positions on climate change? Roughly those of a conservative Democrat. He voted against the McCain-Lieberman climate bill twice and declined to vote for cloture for the Lieberman-Warner climate bill last year. He said that the latter bill contained "very difficult standards which I, candidly, do not think are attainable." As an alternative he has pushed a bill co-sponsored with Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the "Low-Carbon Economy Act," which has weak targets, free permits, automatic off-ramps, and all the rest of the kinds of provisions that neuter a climate bill. (See Wonk Room for more on Specter's green record.)

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