Graham Won’t Attend White House Energy/Climate Meeting

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “will not attend a pivotal Tuesday meeting at the White House on energy and climate legislation between President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of senators,” The Hill reports.

Graham cited conflicting hearings with Gen. David Petraeus, who is the newly designated head of the military campaign in Afghanistan, and Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.

“I can’t be in three different places at the same time,” Graham told reporters Monday in the Capitol. Petraeus is appearing before the Armed Services Committee and Kagan is appearing before the Judiciary Committee.

Graham’s absence is notable because several months ago he helped breathe life into prospects for bipartisan energy and climate legislation.

Expected attendees at the meeting:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.); Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska); Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.); Kerry; Lieberman; Collins; Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio); Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.); Tom Carper (D-Del.); Mark Begich (D-Alaska); Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.); Judd Gregg (R-N.H.); Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.); Richard Lugar (R-Ind.); Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.); Bill Nelson (D-Fla.); Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.); Olympia Snowe (R-Maine); Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio).

(credit image – daylife/getty)