Underscoring the growing intensity
of the message war over climate change, Senate environment committee
chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) said in a
joint statement yesterday afternoon that they would delay the unveiling of
their carbon-emissions legislation until late September:

Because
of Senator Kennedy’s recent passing, Senator Kerry’s August hip
surgery, and the intensive work on health care legislation,
particularly
on the Finance Committee where Sen. Kerry serves, Majority Leader Reid
has agreed to provide some additional time to work on the final details
of our bill, and to reach out to colleagues and important stakeholders.
We have told the Majority Leader that our goal is to introduce our bill
later in September.

Today’s
delay marks the second in two months for the climate bill, which was
originally slated for release in early August. After Boxer said last month
that the Senate version of the measure would emerge in early September,
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) set a deadline of September 28 for
committees to finish their work in preparation for an October vote on
climate change.

But that deadline now appears highly unlikely to be met.