When President Barack Obama used his speech on the Gulf oil spill this week to push climate change legislation, it breathed new life into an effort stalled in the senate. Tennessee’s congressional delegation has a mixed reaction to this new attempt to pass energy legislation.
The House, where Democratic Congressman Lincoln Davis serves, has already passed an energy bill – without his vote. Still, Davis sees the speech as an opportunity to revisit the merits of nuclear power.
“It gives us a huge amount of release and relief from looking at carbon based fuels.”
But Republican Marsha Blackburn says the president is playing politics.
“What the American people want to see is addressing the situation in the Gulf.”
Senator Lamar Alexander doesn’t begrudge the President’s point. Instead, he believes only an energy bill that focuses on bipartisan support will pass. That means no caps on carbon emissions.
“He could have called for many Manhattan projects on cars and trucks on nuclear power plants, on energy research and development, all of which he’s for and which Republican Senators are for.”
All the more important because the Senate bill needs 60 votes to clear procedural hurdles that could torpedo the measure.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM