President Obama expects the Senate to move on to comprehensive energy and climate change legislation once it finishes work over the next few weeks on Wall Street regulatory reform.

"This is one of these foundational priorities from my perspective that has to be done soon," Obama said of the climate bill Friday during a White House meeting of outside experts helping the administration on economic recovery plans.

Obama predicted several weeks of Senate debate on the financial reform package, with lawmakers working behind the scenes on a climate bill that must get support from industry if it has any chance of passing.

So Much for Global Warming Gas Tax?

Watch - Inhofe: We Will Defeat Global Warming Gas Tax: You and I have talked about this before, and the numbers of people who are willing to vote for the largest tax increase in the history of America are diminishing the closer you get to an election. So, it's not going to happen. What we're looking at right now, I heard you mention the 15 cent gas tax to support this some kind of cap-and-trade, that just isn't going to happen. Right now, there's an effort to increase the gas tax for roads and highways and bridges - that's what it is really there for. So, that isn't going to happen. But, a Harvard professor did a study, and Stuart you probably saw this, they said if we want to meet the requirements of the Obama Administration - that is a 17% reduction in emissions by 2020 - you better used to $7.00 a gallon for gasoline. That's not going to happen, I assure you.

Did somebody just say "gas tax?" Maybe, but they know better now. Sens. John Kerry (D., Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and Connecticut Independent Joe Lieberman are supposed to unveil, some day, a tripartisan energy and climate bill they've been working on for months...An article in the Los Angeles Times Thursday speculated the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman plan would call for a levy of roughly 15 cents a gallon. That's less than the price of regular gasoline has risen since Feb. 22, according to surveys by the Department of Energy. But "gas tax" is a compound cuss word in Washington, even less acceptable in polite society than "cap and trade." The quick moves to squelch such talk show that terms such as "price on carbon" or "linked fee" - the working euphemism among those involved in the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman discussions - aren't going to fool anyone, especially in an election year.

Backtracking On Gas Tax - Confirming earlier reporting in this blog, the White House has now officially announced its opposition to any increase in federal gasoline taxes as part of Senate climate change legislation. Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., has advocated higher gasoline taxes in the context of intense and highly complex negotiations to build Republican support for climate change legislation. Graham doesn't call the higher fee - currently proposed as 15 cents per gallon - a straight gasoline tax. Rather, Graham considers it a fee on oil and gas industry pollution.Graham is working with Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Connecticut, to forge a bipartisan consensus on a climate change bill. Those efforts continue. White House opposition to the gas tax all but kills the idea, but the White House statement leaves is vague enough not to rule out entirely some variation of the Graham proposal. Negotiations continue.

Bipartisan "Uproar" Over Circumventing Regular Order - "Raise Red Flags"

Lieberman earlier this week sparked an uproar among some key Democrats when he explained the plan was to hand the legislative proposal over to Reid without a formal introduction to ensure it does not get referred to committees."That doesn't sound like the regular order to me," Agriculture Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) said Wednesday. "We'll certainly weigh in. And I think where there's an opportunity, whether it's to have hearings or to have a say, we'll do it.""I'd be surprised if it bypassed Finance," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), a member of the panel led by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.).

Already, some senators also are raising red flags about the committee process, which they warn may be circumvented if the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman proposal moves directly into Reid's office."These bills need to go through committee," said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). "If you're talking about making major deals on energy policy, it needs to go through the Energy Committee. If you're making major deals on tax policy, it needs to go through the Finance Committee. I mean, if you want to get it done." Greenwire:

Budget Committee ranking member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), a possible swing vote, said he would prefer the committee process remain intact for the energy and climate bill -- rather than shifting the debate into Reid's office. "This concept of going through the leader's office is a new concept in the legislative flow chart," Gregg said. Budget Committee ranking member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), a possible swing vote, said he would prefer the committee process remain intact for the energy and climate bill -- rather than shifting the debate into Reid's office. "This concept of going through the leader's office is a new concept in the legislative flow chart," Gregg said.

Reid's Office - No Decision Made: Reid said Thursday that moving the climate bill is "important," but it was not clear whether he would try to push the measure to the floor without committee markups. Five Senate committees have jurisdiction over portions of the legislation. "He hasn't made a decision yet on that," said Jim Manley, Reid's spokesman. "We'll try and go through regular order and see how much time there is. Deadlines have come and gone. We still want to get it done. We still have a process to go through. Kerry's still working."

Senators Delay Unveiling of Compromise Bill: Senate aides said April 15 that Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) pushed back the unveiling of the bill-originally planned for the week of April 19-in hopes of bringing on board the broadest backing possible from industry and environmental groups. While an outline of the Senate climate and energy bill has been discussed for weeks, many specifics remain in flux, aides said. BNA: Senators Delay Unveiling of Compromise Bill,Work to Garner Broadest Possible Support

Crunch Time For Climate Bill - Climate Change Bill Loses Support - Kerry Hit With Array of Competing Concerns

Roll Call: Climate Change Bill Loses Support - The scant Republican support Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) secured last summer that proved crucial for passage of the House's climate change bill has eroded as the midterm elections draw near - enough so that she likely would be short of votes if the same measure were on the floor today. At least four of the eight GOP Members who voted for the climate change bill in June have since reconsidered their support and said this week that Democrats should not count on them again. Reps. Mike Castle (R-Del.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) - both moderates who are running for open Senate seats - are among those who say they now would oppose the House-passed bill and anything similar to it.

The Hill: Senate climate bill roll-out set for April 26 - Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) plan to unveil their long-awaited climate change and energy bill on Monday, April 26, according to sources familiar with the plans. The trio had earlier planned to unveil the measure next week, but the bill remains under development.

The Hill: Kerry, Graham differ on Supreme Court debate's effect on possible climate bill - Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) offered somewhat different views Monday about whether Senate debate on a Supreme Court nominee could hinder their effort to move climate change legislation. Kerry flatly rejected the notion that Senate consideration of President Obama's upcoming choice to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens will affect the bill, which Kerry plans to unveil next week with Graham and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). "We are capable of doing more than one thing at the same time around here," Kerry told reporters as he exited a meeting with Graham and Lieberman in the Capitol Monday evening. "I think the President will pick somebody without a lot of conflict, I am confident, and I think we will do more than one thing," he added.

CQ: Nuclear's Role in Climate Bill Is Unresolved - One week before the anticipated unveiling of a Senate climate change bill, the lead authors still have not agreed on a central provision that would require utilities to generate some of their power from sources that do not emit greenhouse gases. For many Democrats, including President Obama and Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, a cornerstone of a climate and energy policy overhaul is the inclusion of a so-called renewable-electricity standard, which would mandate a significant increase in power produced by wind, solar and geothermal sources.

Greenwire reports this morning that the sponsors of a new climate effort in the Senate want to skip the open, transparent committee process and craft a new gas tax behind closed doors. As the story makes clear, their ploy is meeting growing, bipartisan opposition.

Lieberman: In an effort to keep the bill in Reid's hands, the sponsors -- Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) won't officially introduce the bill in the Senate when they unveil it to the public next week. "If we introduce it, it'll get referred to committees," Lieberman said. "We want him to be able to work with it and bring it out onto the floor as a leader whenever he's ready."

Bipartisan Opposition:

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.): Already, some senators also are raising red flags about the committee process, which they warn may be circumvented if the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman proposal moves directly into Reid's office."These bills need to go through committee," said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). "If you're talking about making major deals on energy policy, it needs to go through the Energy Committee. If you're making major deals on tax policy, it needs to go through the Finance Committee. I mean, if you want to get it done."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is about to take over as stage manager in the uphill push to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation.

Next week, Reid will be handed the reins of the bill to cap greenhouse gas emissions while expanding domestic oil, gas and nuclear power production. His challenge could not be tougher. Along with the climate measure, he must juggle a packed Senate agenda that includes Wall Street reform, a Supreme Court nomination and more economic recovery plans. Reid is also facing perhaps the toughest re-election campaign of his career this fall.