Tulsa World: Inhofe vows to continue boycott of climate bill

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Inhofe vows to continue boycott of climate bill

AT ODDS
Sens. Jim Inhofe (left) and Barbara Boxer: Inhofe is leading a GOP boycott of a climate change bill that Boxer is pushing.

By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau
Published: 11/4/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 11/4/2009 3:30 AM

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe vowed Tuesday to continue leading a Republican boycott on a sweeping climate change bill and force Democrats to allow a complete economic analysis of the measure.

Declining to say exactly how, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said she plans to move ahead with the bill.

The one-day impasse that kept all but one Republican out of the hearing room appeared to be moving into its second day Wednesday as both sides insisted committee rules were on their side.

At issue is what kind of business the committee can conduct without at least two Republicans present.

"Nothing has changed,'' Inhofe, R-Okla., told reporters late Tuesday afternoon. "We want the analysis."

He dismissed Democrats' claims that the analysis performed on the previously passed House bill represented a good beginning for the Senate bill along with the additional review on its different provisions.

Inhofe also said any attempt by Boxer to move a bill out of the committee would set the type of precedent that could come back and haunt Democrats.

"You are destroying the integrity of the committee system,'' he said.

In a separate press conference, Boxer conceded her committee has found itself in an unusual position.

"I am very sad about that,'' she said.

Still, Boxer was unwilling to concede defeat and suggested the committee will be able to follow its own rules and move the bill.

She declined to explain how that could happen.

In addition to the impasse over what exactly the committee rules allow at this point, Inhofe and Boxer have basic disagreements over the need for the bill by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., designed to reduce pollution, create clean energy jobs and protect U.S. security.

Boxer believes it is urgent for the U.S. not only to address global warming at home but take the lead in doing so for the world.

In an address to a joint session of Congress earlier Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the issue of climate change, citing the threats caused by rising sea levels and global temperatures.

Merkel said an agreement addressing those issues must be reached next month at a major climate conference in Copenhagen.

Inhofe, the committee's top Republican, is perhaps the most vocal global warming skeptic in Congress. He has called global warming the biggest scientific hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.

Jim Myers (202) 484-1424
jim.myers@tulsaworld.com By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Inhofe leads Republican boycott against climate change bill," which was published on 11/3/2009.

	Report Comment Ric, Broken Arrow (11/3/2009 9:56:26 AM) Watch the Learning Channel.
	Report Comment SRV, (11/3/2009 10:02:50 AM) Oklahomans want more info on why this guy is so CLUELESS and HOW he gets re-elected every term. Seriously, many of us in Oklahoma can't stand this guy or his politics.
	Report Comment Ric, Broken Arrow (11/3/2009 10:04:49 AM) Maybe a law which eliminates the consuming of all gaseous foods should be studied.
	Report Comment lizzy, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:06:26 AM) He doesn't want "analysis." He wants to kill it, pure and simple. A great example of the "party of no."
	Report Comment goatman, (11/3/2009 10:13:22 AM) He gets re-elected because he is a republican. If you are a republican in Oklahoma you get elected period. No questions asked.
	Report Comment Whirled Peas, (11/3/2009 10:15:14 AM) This man is a hoax.
	Report Comment dinghmm, (11/3/2009 10:23:56 AM) Really..?
	Report Comment douglassm, tulsa (11/3/2009 10:23:59 AM) What a fool.
	Report Comment pdillo, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:25:26 AM) how embarrassing
	Report Comment douglassm, tulsa (11/3/2009 10:29:16 AM) Also on his agenda is removing the whole silly "earth is round" theory, banning evolution and debunking that crazy notion of gravity.
	Report Comment paprika, teahas (11/3/2009 10:30:47 AM) I am extremely pleased that we have someone fighting to save jobs, poor peoples' money, and trying to keep the feds from spending us into the poor house. Our economy cannot take the hit that is being leveled at it with this ridiculus cap and tax bill.
	Report Comment Worried about the system, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:31:04 AM) Jim Inhofe needs to go back underneath his rock.
	Report Comment T5000, 'burbs, Ok. (11/3/2009 10:31:14 AM) A Senator wants further analysis of a bill and he's ridiculed.... The Teleprompter wants further analysis of a situation and he's praised.... Which is it gonna be, folks?
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:33:43 AM) T5000, great point. I trust Senator Inhoffe's judgment. The "Kerry-Boxer bill"...that say's it all.
	Report Comment Angry Citizen!, Bluejacket (11/3/2009 10:34:47 AM) You mean to tell me that the people elected to serve us haven't completed any type of economic impact study of this legislation?
	Report Comment paprika, teahas (11/3/2009 10:34:52 AM) All the foolish tree-huggers cannot believe some people don't trust in the "sky is falling" chicken littles scientists who also predicted the ice age 30+ years ago!!!
	Report Comment douglassm, tulsa (11/3/2009 10:39:10 AM) Nothing is funnier than a redneck picking a fight with an educated person. Yeah, the majority of scientists across the planet are the fools.
	Report Comment T5000, 'burbs, Ok. (11/3/2009 10:41:23 AM) I'll take the redneck hands-down over the 'scientists' produced by Kerry and Boxer.
	Report Comment paprika, teahas (11/3/2009 10:42:24 AM) Kerry-Boxer bill says it all... Nice one Corvetteguy!! Didn't Kerry and the deceased Ted Kennedy block a wind farm in their own backyard playground? Nantucket Sound. If they were that concerned about global destruction....wouldnt they have bit the bullet? Just more evidence of the liberal elitism that surrounds the Democratic party. One system for the masses but the elites don't really have to pay the price because...well.....they are elite. That is also why they won't be involved with the "consumer option" in the health care debaucle either. Enjoy your health and taxes with the rest of the masses libs.
	Report Comment paprika, teahas (11/3/2009 10:44:36 AM) I got $20 dollars on the redneck!!
	Report Comment SS_Hippy, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:46:43 AM) why is this man smiling?
	Report Comment Bubba in Glenpool, (11/3/2009 10:47:53 AM) I don't follow Inhofe on too much of his politics, but it does seem that before we would move forward on this Global Warming thing, we should all know what the impact on my pocket books is going to be...is that too much to ask? Even if it does end up killing this bill, if it's based on its cost/impact on the taxpaying public, than I think that would be a good thing, would it not?
	Report Comment RecklessProcess, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:47:58 AM) There is no evidence that CO2 forces warming. Many many times in the planets past we have had over 4000 ppm of CO2 with much lower tempuratures. Why won't Hansen et.al. allow anyone to review their data and methods? That is not science. Science requires peer review. The planet is cooling and has been for 11 years. In spite of the fact that this is a fantasy of narcissists who need to beleive they are like gods saving the world India and China will not sign on to the fantasy. They are building new power plants every week. We could turn off all our power and stop driving all our cars and it won't make a bit of difference in tempurature because India and China are laughing at our gullibility. There is no global warming but if there was a little warming of a degree every hundred years we should welcome it. It is not something to fear. Why are the idiots so afraid of minor tempurature fluctuations? Because the Goracle has you all running scared with his lies. Yes lies. The British governemtn does not allow his movie to be shown without giving notice of the 9 or more major deceits in the movie. But it is the religion of the so called non-religious.
	Report Comment TK1, (11/3/2009 10:48:24 AM) Great article in the NY Times today about how the great prophet Al Gore is profiting all the way to the bank off of the man-made Global Warming hoax.
	Report Comment Scott Smith, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:48:38 AM) Since he can't get them to prove the science, he may as well fight the funding and the bill itself. Thanks Jim for fighting this monstrosity that is sure to hurt our economy, make little impact on greenhouse gas emissions, and will force us to play on field tilted against us when other countries have little or no restrictions. Why can't the global war...er, climate change nuts just get on board with nuclear?

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