Professor Peter Byrne, faculty director for the Georgetown Climate Center and director of the Georgetown Environmental Law and Policy Institute, argues the replacement of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens shouldn’t get in the way of federal climate and energy legislation. more ↓

From the New York Times website:
"It's not that complicated," Peter Byrne, director of the Georgetown Environmental Law and Policy Institute, said of Senate confirmations. "You don't really negotiate terms like you do in a statute. You vote yes or no. There's no particular need for it to derail resources that need to be put to a whole host of legislative projects."

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) has taken a similar position, pointing out that the Senate can do more than one thing at a time. Others, however, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have made it clear that the extent of the fight will depend on whom President Obama chooses to replace one of the court’s most liberal justices.

Graham is one of the co-sponsors for the soon-to-be-unveiled climate bill and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

From ClimateWire:
"If he picks somebody who's going to be controversial, yeah," Graham said. "But if he picks somebody who's generally believed to be acceptable to a wide range of people, then no.

"It'd make it harder," Graham added. "It'd take more time."