Sen. McConnell Blocks Climate Change Bill; Wants Judges Confirmed

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says he will try to hold up debate on proposed climate change legislation until Democrats agree to confirm several circuit court judges.  He says he wants the Bush administration’s picks on the bench before a new president takes over.  To stall the bill, McConnell ordered clerks to read aloud all 492 pages of the bill on the Senate floor.  He told reporters in a press conference that Democrats broke a commitment to deal with the nominations.“This is a debate I assure you we would love to have, and would be happening this afternoon but for the violation of a commitment made pre- memorial day.  And I hope we stay on the bill. I have a suspicion that we won’t,” McConnell said.McConnell is firmly against the Boxer-Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, which would establish a cap-and-trade market for carbon emissions.  He says he believes the legislation would harm the economy, and that technology offers better solutions to climate change.    However, several studies from the Congressional Budget Office and academic researchers have generally concluded that the economic impact of the legislation would, for the most part, not be negative.