House Climate Bill Passes…Barely

After House Minority Leader John Boehner’s pseudo-filibuster, the final vote on the Waxman-Markey bill was 219-212 with eight Republicans voting in favor and 44 Democrats voting against. Interestingly, at least one Democrat voted for the bill but was then cleared to switch to a ‘no’ vote once final passage was assured. The bill needed only 218 votes to pass, but the single additional vote will spare certain vulnerable Democrats from the charge that they were the deciding vote on the bill’s success.