Senate Republicans Wary Of Possible Climate Change Pledge In Copenhagen

Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

While President Barack Obama is taking the Environmental Protection Agency's ruling of the dangers and the toxicity of CO2 emissions and greenhouse gasses (GHGs) to Copenhagen climate change conference, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) told reporters Thursday that the Senate must ratify any proposed climate change pledge that President Barack Obama will make during his visit.

“Any action that would be binding on the U.S., in the form of an international agreement, will of course have to be ratified by the U.S. Senate,” Kyl said at a press conference Thursday.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) spoke out against the possibility of the EPA and President Obama making any law on CO2 emissions or climate change.

“We’re not going to allow the Executive Branch or the Environmental Protection Agency, through the Clean Air Act or any other act, appropriate themselves the power to make laws to govern the people of the U.S.,” Graham said.

Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she will file a resolution of disapproval in hopes of stopping the EPA from regulating GHGs.

Senate Healthcare Bill Is The 'Framework' For Further Reform, Says Key Democrat

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told reporters Tuesday that although the Senate healthcare bill may not contain a medicare expansion or a public option, she will vote for it.

Said Stabenow, "We’re in a legislative process where we have to bring everyone together and get the very best that we can, and then keep working.”

“This is about a framework...and that will change the debate going forward,” she added.

The Senator from Michigan advocated passing the healthcare bill rapidly so it can then be melded with the House bill and sent to the President's desk by the end of this year.

Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) said during the press conference that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) currently does not have the 60 votes needed to pass the bill.

“The goal here is to get the job done...to get 60 votes so that we can proceed and overcome the actions of the Republicans, that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on,” Cardin said.

Stabenow and Cardin denied to comment on Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) refusal to support the bill if it included a medicare expansion provision.

RNC Launches Ad Campaign To Combat Senate Healthcare Bill

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

On Monday Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Michael Steele announced the launch of the “Listen to Me” Effort. Which will include the launch of a six-figure national radio ad which explains the GOP position on healthcare reform, with emphasis on the Senate healthcare bill.

“We can’t force the democrats to listen to the American people, but we can certainly help the American people lift their voice up to be heard by those in Washington,” Steele said. “[We] are asking the Democrats in Washington to do something different for once, and that is listen to the American people.”

The new initiative consists of telephone town hall meetings, an interactive internet campaign and a grass roots activist campaign.

RNC staff members will also be sent to the six states (North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana and Connecticut) who’s Senators still seem to be undecided on how they will vote on the healthcare bill.

“In these states we will do everything we can to help people get their elected representatives to listen, to pay attention [and] to hear their voice,” Steele said.

Senate Medicare Expansion Proposal 'Worth Consideration,' Says House Majority Leader

By Meagan Wiseley, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-M.D.) told reporters Tuesday that the proposed expansion of Medicare being discussed in the Senate is "an idea worth consideration."

"I think [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid obviously is trying to get his caucus to a place where he can get 60 votes to pass a health reform bill," he said. "I congratulate him for the extraordinary Herculean efforts that he is making to bring 60 votes together to get something done in the Senate."

The expansion would allow individuals from the ages of 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare and would also create a non-profit funded healthcare plan for those who are not covered through their employers.

Hoyer also said Congress is currently working on job creation legislation, using left over TARP money for infrastructure projects and job creation. He said depending on the components of the bill, it could cost between $75 billion and $150 billion.

"100 billion, 150 billion, 75 billion, those are all figures that are being talked about, depending on what the component parts are," he said. "And I don't think anybody feels that this package will be the only package in terms of jobs that we'll look at over the next two or three months."

Pence: Obama And Congress Should Focus On Jobs, Not Climate Change

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) told reporters at a pen and pad session Monday that U.S. President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress should be focused on jobs and the economic recession, not climate change.

"House Republicans continue to believe that...jobs are the number one priority of the American people, and should be the number one priority of this Congress," Pence said.

According to a press release from Pence's office, the Republican leader believes President Obama should "address serious concerns before traveling to Copenhagen" for the United Nations global climate change summit.

"At the time of double-digit unemployment, the last thing our country needs is a jobs-killing cap and trade scheme on our families and small businesses by bureaucrats at the United Nations," the statement added.

In his remarks before reporters, Pence also said that if Obama enters the U.S. into a political agreement to reduce carbon emissions, U.S. small businesses would be at a "competitive disadvantage to those developing countries who have pledged to protect their growing economies from international carbon caps."