"A partisan standoff over Senate global warming legislation clouded the start of the Environment and Public Works Committee's markup of the sweeping proposal today with just one Republican in attendance.

Boxer still plans to begin the markup at 9 a.m. with opening statements. But she agreed to suspend the markup at 2 p.m. for an open-door meeting with U.S. EPA officials to answer committee members' questions about the economic modeling of the legislation, she noted in a letter late yesterday.

EPW Republicans, who ignored yesterday deadline for filing amendments, also now have until 5 p.m. today to submit any suggested changes to the bill.

'We think this is going the extra mile for our friends on the other side, and we really hope they'll return to the table,' Boxer told reporters. 'They have every reason to do that.'"

Darren Samuelsohn and Ben Geman report for Greenwire in the New York Times November 3, 2009. [2]