Democrats Struggle on Cap & Trade

Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are postponing consideration of their landmark climate change measure, as moderate Democrats on the panel continue to voice their frustration about a proposal to cap carbon emissions.

Authors of the legislation were expected to roll out their ambitious proposal in greater detail this week, during a series of public meetings before the panel's Energy and Environment subcommittee. But Republicans on the committee alerted GOP members on Monday morning that the start of that markup would be delayed, according to multiple GOP aides.

Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey had scheduled two weeks for markups in the subcommittee, so there is still time to meet the Memorial Day deadline for this legislation.

"We have it on good authority that there will be no cap and trade markup in Subcommittee this week," David Cavicke, the staff director for committee Republicans, wrote other members' offices on Monday morning. "The Democrats are still looking for votes." - Politico Story