Murkowski bid to stop EPA power graf fails in 47-53 Senate vote

The Senate on Thursday halted Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s effort to curb the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from factories, power plants and other large polluters.

Her measure failed 47-53, largely on party lines, although the Alaska Republican had the support of six Democrats. Had it passed, the White House said this week that President Barack Obama would have vetoed it anyway.

The Senate spent six hours debating the measure, which came up in a rarely used procedural move known as a disapproval resolution. Because of the unusual nature of the measure, the Senate put aside all of its other business to take up Murkowski’s disapproval resolution.

The vote came the same day as a new Washington Post-ABC News poll showing broad public support for EPA oversight of harmful greenhouse gas emissions. About 71 percent of those surveyed support federal regulation of greenhouse gases from sources such as power plants, automobiles and factories, the poll found.

Calling the Clean Air Act “an awful choice for reducing” emissions that lead to global warming, Murkowski made the case that allowing the EPA to write such regulations would cost jobs, hurt the economy and cede to the Obama administration authority that should be up to Congress. Murkowski’s Alaska colleague, Democrat Mark Begich, voted against her proposal.