Senate Democrats to Pursue a Smaller Energy Bill

By PETER BAKER and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
NYT

WASHINGTON — President Obama and Senate Democrats have decided to press ahead in the next two weeks with a scaled-back energy bill that limits carbon pollution by power plants but not by other industries in an effort to salvage the legislation before midterm elections.

After months of gridlock, the White House and Democratic leaders have concluded that the sweeping measure they once envisioned cannot pass, so they will try to get what they can rather than pass nothing at all. The developing plan is intended to appeal to enough Republicans to overcome a filibuster but could disappoint liberals who argue that more needs to be done.

“If not now, when?” said Senator Harry M. Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, who plans to bring the compromise bill to the Senate floor the week of July 26. “We have to move to do something about our dependence on foreign oil. That’s what this legislation is all about.”

Mr. Reid also presented it as a way to further stimulate the economy, saying, “This as I’ve indicated is a huge jobs bill.”

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