Waxman talks climate and the Dems’ future

Instead, it did the opposite, because lawmakers from the region have ramped up their push for offshore drilling.

“They’re so dependent on drilling for oil that they were afraid that a big part of their economy would be hampered if we had even the moratorium, let alone a cessation of drilling. They wanted even now to start drilling even before we can assure the drilling would be done safely,” Waxman complained, adding opponents of the climate change bill “had propagandized so heavily against it that they weren’t ready to budge off their position.”

Waxman could provide no clear outline for the future of climate change legislation, blaming the 60-vote requirement in the Senate.

But “the issue is not going to go away,” he warned.