WASHINGTON -- The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted this morning to move a climate change bill, using a rare procedural move to overcome a Republican boycott.

The committee did not amend the bill, authored by EPW Chair Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., because two Republicans are needed to conduct committee business. But the rules of the Senate allow a committee to move legislation by a majority vote -- a tactic Republicans have called "the nuclear option."

Whether the move will blow up in Ms. Boxer's face remains to be seen.

Republicans, led by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., boycotted committee meetings this week and demanded more analysis of the economic impacts of the bill by the Environmental Protection Agency. They said the projections were too optimistic and did not take into account enough scenarios.

EPA said a more complete analysis would take five weeks, and Democrats said the request was a stall tactic and promised a full analysis before the bill gets to the Senate floor.

The controversial bill would require the U.S. to reduce emissions 20 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050, and would create a cap-and-trade market in which companies can swap pollution credits.

The bill's supporters say it's imperative to act now to slow or reverse global warming, while also creating so-called "green jobs" and reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. Its opponents say it would kill manufacturing and raise energy prices at a time the country can ill afford it -- and it wouldn't make a global warming impact without the cooperation of developing nations.

The House has passed similar legislation, but the Senate is not expected to make significant headway on the bill until next year.

Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., voted to move the legislation, but said he wished he could have offered amendments to help protect Pennsylvania industry.

"It is regrettable that we could not move forward in a more constructive way to reflect the will of this committee, but I believe in acting, Madam Chair," Mr. Specter said, adding that movement of the bill is an important step to take before next month's Copenhagen global climate summit.

"It is not the best signal, but it is a signal that the Senate is willing to move forward."

In a Democrat-only vote, it was 10-1 in favor of reporting the bill, with Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the only "no." Mr. Baucus, who as chair of the Senate Finance Committee will wield sizable influence over the bill, said he is still committed to passing the legislation overall and will work to find 60 votes for it in the Senate. But he would like to see the strict emissions targets weakened until developing countries follow suit, among other alterations.

Some moderate Republicans who were targeted as potential supporters of the climate legislation sided with the committee Republicans this week in support of their boycott. But Mr. Specter said he didn't think that his former colleagues on the Republican side were lost because EPW forged ahead.

"This bill is going to be changed, markedly, when you move down the road, so they will get substantively what they want," Mr. Specter said.

Washington correspondent Daniel Malloy writes the "Pittsburgh On The Potomac" blog exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.