It was the Senate Democrats in the U.S. who couldn’t muster the votes for Cap-and-Trade legislation four years ago. Tonight 30 senators took to the floor to pull an all-nighter in support of action on climate change. Not actually proposing any legislation, the group hoped their marathon session would draw attention to the need to deal with global warming. It was the first act of the Senate Climate Action Task Force, headed by Sen. Barbara Boxer of California and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
More cynical commentators might point out that in an election year, such a stunt is likely a fundraising opportunity. Good. That political leaders consider standing up for climate action as a campaign boon is in itself a big step. Democrats are clearly trying to make this an issue leading up to November.
