Both Baucus and Boxer Stake Claim to Cap-And-Trade Bill

While Congress is still squarely focused on the battle over health care reform, Democrats are already beginning to jockey for position in what may be in the next big legislative showdown of 2009: a bill to address global warming.

Both Montana Sen. Max Baucus, chair of the Finance Committee, and California Sen. Barbara Boxer, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, claim that their panels should be lead author on perhaps the most critical piece of global warming legislation. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/08/07/07climatewire-boxer-baucus-headed-for-turf-war-over-cap-an-52989.html" title="From The New York Times:”>From The New York Times:

Sources on and off Capitol Hill say Reid wants nothing to do with a parliamentary struggle that pits EPW Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) against Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), and he is pleading with them to resolve any differences should the legislation get the green light for a floor vote later this year …

… Headed into September, Baucus remains square in the middle of the health care reform debate, trying to negotiate a compromise among Democrats and Republicans on the Finance Committee. Some sources say that success on health care could reap dividends for Baucus when it comes to global warming.