Al FrankenSen. Al Franken wrote the following letter to a Grist reader in early November, expressing support for “comprehensive energy legislation” and a “national energy plan that keeps our country moving down a path to a homegrown economy with more jobs, more innovation, and more opportunities for investment.” The senator has been concerned about the possible loss of manufacturing jobs to countries without emission-reduction plans (e.g. China and India), and in August he joined with nine other Democrats in writing a letter to President Obama calling for a climate bill to include tariffs on goods from countries without binding emission …

George Voinovich At a hearing on the Kerry-Boxer climate bill in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Nov. 3, Sen. George Voinovich was the only Republican to show up (for a whole 15 minutes!). He explained that Republicans were boycotting the proceedings because they wanted to wait until the EPA completed a more thorough economic analysis of the bill.  He insisted that he did “want to work on a bipartisan basis” and that requesting further EPA analysis was “not a stalling tactic.” Voinovich has been arguing for further economic analysis ever since the House passed its version of …

Sen. Charles Schumer is an advocate for climate legislation and said in July that he believed such legislation would attract the 60 needed votes.  In this letter to a constituent, Schumer expresses his support for a bill “that gets America running on clean energy, ends our dependence on foreign oil and includes energy incentives that help businesses create jobs and consumers realize the benefits of clean energy without seeing their costs rise.” Dear [Constituent]: Thank you for writing and expressing your support for strong climate change legislation. I share your concern about the harmful impacts climate change is having on …

Sen. Daniel Akaka is considered a likely “yes” vote on climate legislation, but in this letter sent to a constituent in late November 2009, he doesn’t reveal much of anything about his views on climate change or what should be done about it. Dear [Constituent]: Thank you for your comments on climate change and energy legislation. Related legislation includes S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, S. 1462, the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009, and H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Input from a full range of stakeholders is being …

Sen. John Cornyn is expected to vote against a climate bill, and that’s confirmed in this letter he wrote to a constituent.  He argues that the Kerry-Boxer climate bill would “create a massive new government bureaucracy, raise energy prices, increase taxes, and send American jobs overseas.” Dear [Constituent]: Thank you for contacting me regarding a new international treaty on global climate change. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter. As you may know, the annual climate change conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December …

Susan Collins Though Sen. Susan Collins seems supportive of climate legislation, she remains a toss-up in the debate over the Kerry-Boxer bill. In this letter sent to a constituent in early December, she calls for “meaningful action” to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, while saying that solutions must be “reasonable”: Dear [Constituent], Thank you for contacting me regarding climate change legislation.  I appreciate your letting me know of your support for the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act and Copenhagen climate negotiations. On September 30, 2009, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act was introduced by Senators Kerry (D-MA) and …