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A coalition of farm-state legislators is blocking the climate change bill backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to The Hill's Jared Allen [2]. Allen reports that the bill put together by House Energy and Commierce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) might fail unless it satisfies a group of ag state legislators led by House Agriculture Chair Collin Peterson of Minnesota (above). "Peterson has warned that the bill put together by Waxman and Energy and Environment subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey (D-Mass.) will fail if agriculture-related provisions aren’t altered, and he’s said he has as many as 45 votes on his side," Allen reported. "That number of Democratic defections would certainly doom the prospects of passing the bill in the House."
House members from rural areas have objected to how the legislation treats biofuels. Other issues separating rural legislators from urban ones are "unidentified," according to Allen.
Peterson has said that he might be happier letting the Senate take the lead on this issue. “Generally, my members probably think that what the Senate’s doing is better,” Peterson said. “I’ve had some of them say, ‘Why don’t we do what the Senate is doing?’ ”