Despite a Republican boycott in the Senate, cap and trade legislation has been voted out of committee.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted to move cap and trade legislation out of committee by a margin of 11-to-1. Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) was the only dissenting Democrat. Republicans were not present as they were boycotting the committee because they believed the legislation needed more study. But Ben Lieberman, a policy analyst with the Heritage Foundation, says a vote before the full Senate will be a bit more difficult. "There are a number of Senators, most, if not very nearly all Republicans, but also some Democrats [who are] very concerned about this bill," says Lieberman. And the fact that it is being rushed through in this manner has raised suspicions as well." The analyst notes that if the bill is passed, cap and trade will become effective during 2012. He adds that most people will see their energy costs go up by $400-a-year, and then by 2035, some could see their energy costs rise by over $1,000. Lieberman contends that the states affected the least by the legislation will be West Coast states and the Northeast portion of the U.S. Those hurt the worst will be states relying on manufacturing jobs and energy production.
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