Senate Warms Up for Global-Warming Law

Congress is set to begin work on a bill to curb carbon emissions. While Senate floor unlikely to produce a bill President Bush will sign, it is already realigning prospects for legislating in a new administration. The Senate bill would mandate that U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases be cut to 19 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and up to 71 percent by 2050. The bill also proposes a $800 billion "tax relief fund" over the next four decades to help Americans pay energy bills.