Senate panel tries bypassing climate bill boycott

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats who control a key U.S. Senate panel said they would begin debating a climate change bill on Tuesday, despite a planned boycott by minority Republicans who are demanding more study of the issue.

Senator Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, wants to have a bill approved by her panel before an international summit on global warming convenes in Copenhagen in December.

The wrangling over when debate can start illustrated how difficult it will be to get any bill to the Senate floor and passed into law before year end, complicating President Barack Obama's hopes that the United States will take a leading role in Copenhagen.

Saying she was attempting to address Republican concerns, Boxer told reporters Tuesday's work session would be suspended in the afternoon so experts from the Environmental Protection Agency could come before the committee to answer technical questions -- from Democrats or Republicans -- about the bill.

Boxer also said she would extend a deadline for Republicans to notify her of amendments they might pursue to the bill.

"We're not going to rush this through," she said, adding she hoped Republicans "return to the table."

Senator Richard Lugar, a moderate Senate Republican whose support Democrats would like to win, warned that "it would not be constructive" if Boxer pushed the climate bill through the environment panel during a Republican boycott.

A committee Democratic aide, who asked not to be identified, cited Senate rules saying that Tuesday's committee session could occur if at least 10 of the 19 members attend. Democrats control 12 of the seats.