In a late-night session before a recess leading up to the November 6 elections, the Senate unanimously approved a bill that would shield all U.S. airlines from paying a tax for carbon emissions on European flights. The European Commission had been enforcing the law, conceived in 2008 by the 27-nation European Union, since January of this year, and, until now, nearly all airlines have complied. “The Senate’s action … will ensure that U.S. air carriers and passengers will not be paying down European debt through this illegal tax and can instead be investing in creating jobs and stimulating our own economy,” Republican Senator John Thune said in a statement. The Senate bill must now be reconciled with legislation passed in the House last year.
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