As I reported last night, the Senate went on record yesterday against using the reconciliation process to pass climate change legislation. Most high-profile Democrats say they had no plans to do that anyhow, but yesterday’s vote (67-31) almost certainly forecloses on the option altogether. The roll call just went up belatedly on the Senate website (owing, perhaps, to a backlog of votes) and I want to highlight the 26 Democrats who voted with the Republicans. With this vote they committed themselves to the idea that climate change legislation should be subject to a filibuster, and their large numbers suggests, perhaps, significant opposition to passing any major reform legislation (read: health care) through reconciliation.
Full list below the fold.
Max Baucus (D-MT)
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Mark Begich (D-AK)
Michael Bennett (D-CO)
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Bob Casey (D-PA)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Russell Feingold (D-WI)
Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Blanch Lincoln (D-AR)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Jim Webb (D-VA)