FT.com / World - Heat grows on US Congress over climate

Against this backdrop, political analysts are increasingly sceptical about the chances of legislation this year. “I think, frankly, you can only pass so many large pieces of legislation in any Congress, and when you get too ambitious you start turning away the public,” says Brandon Arnold, director of government affairs at the Cato Institute, a free-market think-tank. “In terms of the politics, it’s probably easier to get a healthcare bill across the finishing line than a cap-and-trade bill.”