The Senate Environment Committee is debating a landmark bill aimed at curbing global warming. Federal wildfire suppression efforts stand to benefit. Todd Zwillich reports from Capitol Hill.
Montana Democratic Senator Max Baucus has added language in the bill that links global warming to longer and drier wildfire seasons. He wants to increase the federal fire fighting budget by over $1 billion a year. California Democrat Barbara Boxer is Chairwoman of the Committee. She says the proposal may enjoy strong support.
Baucus: I think the premise is very good point, if we see more forest fires. Of course, the hope is that we would avert that. That's the whole point of the bill.
The money for fire fighting would come from selling emissions permits to companies. There are five Senators on the Committee from states where wildfires are a risk. It takes ten to pass the bill.
From Washington, I'm Todd Zwillich for KPBS Radio.
