U.S. Senate To Act On Climate Bill Next Spring

(RTTNews) - Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Tuesday that the U.S. Senate will act in early 2010 on legislation to combat climate change--in a clear sign of lack of political will to tackle a long-term environmental issue and ending hopes of a breakthrough before the crucial December 7-18 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Denmark's capital Copenhagen.

"We are going to try to do that sometime in the spring," Reid told reporters, as the White House-backed push to remake U.S. health care still dominates the Senate agenda just weeks before the congressional session ends.

Legislation on health care, overhauling financial markets and job creation will get priority over a measure to cap emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases linked to climate change, Senate Democratic leaders said Tuesday.

The decision confirms that the U.S. Congress is unlikely to adopt legislation to combat climate change--one of President Barack Obama's top domestic priorities--by next month's global talks.

Senator John McCain (R., Ariz.), said the delay was "just a matter of reality, they can't get anything done at this time." McCain, who has previously supported climate legislation, has said he wouldn't support the current Senate proposal because of disagreements over its handling of nuclear energy.

The decision came the same day when President Obama voiced strong support in Beijing for a "comprehensive" agreement that would "rally the world" towards achieving a legally-binding agreement at the Copenhagen climate talks next month, reviving hopes of a deal being reached.

"We agreed to work toward a successful outcome in Copenhagen. Our aim there... is not a partial accord or a political declaration, but rather an accord that covers all of the issues in the negotiations and one that has immediate operational effect," Obama told reporters alongside Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Obama had earlier said action to curb greenhouse gases would unleash investment in clean-energy technology and create jobs.