Peterson flips, would now vote against climate bill

Rep. Collin Peterson, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, was one of the more successful negotiators during last summer’s climate change debate, winning big concessions for some of the nation’s largest polluters in the name of protecting Big Ag. To win Peterson’s vote, for example, House leaders were forced to exempt agriculture from a proposed emissions cap. The bill sponsors also had to scrap a provision that would have required regulators to consider foreign deforestation when calculating the environment impacts of domestic biofuel production.

At the time, Peterson seemed pleased. “We have reached an agreement that works for agriculture and contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States,” he said in a statement. Just days later, Peterson voted in favor of the bill. But that was then, and this is now.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported over the weekend that Peterson would no longer vote for the climate change bill — even if the concessions remain.

The Agriculture Committee chairman said he was “stuck voting” for the bill (which awaits Senate action) in June because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi granted his requests for broad agriculture concessions, but he won’t support it again if it remains unchanged….

“First of all, this isn’t going anyplace in the Senate,” Peterson said. “But if it did and we ended up with a bill that was similar to what came out of the House and that was going to become law, I would vote no.”

In an election year, with unemployment still hovering in double digits, it’ll be hard enough for Democratic leaders to pass legislation addressing global warming. Peterson’s defection — should it be indicative of a trend among moderate Democrats — only adds to the party’s headaches.

Peterson is one of 17 Democratic House members on a National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) “Dem Retirement Assault List.”