The climate bill sponsored by U.S. Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) gained unexpected Republican support this week.  Co-authoring an op-ed in the New York Times with Kerry, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) expressed his support for the legislation.  The Clean Energy Jobs and Power Act (S. 1733) calls for the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent (from 2005 levels) by 2020. 

The Senate is scheduled to take up the bill on October 27.  In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, its version of the climate change bill. 

Released today, Senator Kerry, in the Fall issue of Americas Quarterly, praises several Latin American countries for progress on environmental protection and calls for the United States to help the region become a leader in combating climate change. Such hemispheric cooperation could help to make good on promises for a new, improved U.S.-Latin America relationship as well as serve as a global model going into December’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. 

With health care discussions underway, it is uncertain as to whether a climate change bill will pass Congress prior to the Copenhagen meeting.