Feingold: Cap-and-trade bill could hurt Wisconsin

[Freddie Stubbs]

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold is returning to Washington after what he called a "lively" round of county listening sessions during his August recess. Although the most high-profile issue has become health care reform, the Senate is under pressure to act on a number of other issues, including financial regulation and energy policy.

On the latter issue, he said the nation must do something to combat climate change, but he isn’t yet ready to commit to energy legislation with a so-called cap and trade provision for carbon emissions.

“I’m not signing onto any bill that rips off Wisconsin,” Feingold declared, arguing the bill's mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions could put the coal-dependent Badger State at an economic disadvantage compared to other regions and nations.

That position runs contrary to both his party leadership and the Obama administration, which recently dispatched Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to Saginaw, Mich., to meet with Govs. Jennifer Granholm and Jim Doyle on the energy bill. Doyle came away from the clean energy economic forum convinced that cap and trade would "put some octane, so to speak, in the green energy economy."

more: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=169477

[polichick]

1. Yeah, saving our planet will cost us - but it's not optional. nt

[Zoeisright]

2. I think this is the first time I've ever disagreed with Feingold.

And I'm very disappointed.

[Hannah Bell]

4. maybe he knows something you don't.

[MarjorieG]

3. And if Politico-DU rumor true, Baucus gets to chair financing of Cap & Trade. Bad.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. No rumor--He is Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee:

http://finance.senate.gov/