While no proposed legislation is as contentious as proposed health care reform, coming in a close second would be a proposed congressional bill on how the United States will address climate change.

Before it is all over, it might prove to cause even more protest and disruption.

One clue to that is the fact that all but one Republican member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee boycotted Tuesday's initial meeting on the bill, what is called the "markup." This process is where committee members from both sides take their first whacks at a bill, trying to refine it before it reaches the Senate floor.

The one Republican who did show up — Sen. George Voinovich from Ohio — was there only to explain why the others were not. He said, according to the Associated Press, that the boycott is not a way of seeing that the bill gets defeated, but said the committee needed to have a clear look at how the bill would impact the nation. He said that has not been done.

It is not certain if the Republicans will resume their boycott or not. If they do not, it could mean that the bill will advance without any Republican input.

This is not the way the system ought to work.

We do agree with Voinovich that the impact of the bill, both economic and otherwise needs to be fully studied. Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California says this has already been done, but Voinovich and the Republicans aren't satisfied.

There would seem to us to be an easy way to resolve this difference of opinion: The Republicans should submit a list of questions — the more specific the better — they would like to see answered.

Then the government resources should be brought to bear to answer them fully and honestly.

Once that is done both Republicans and Democrats can make the best informed choice possible.

That is what we should all want, no matter what political philosophy to which me may aspire.

On the other hand, if the Republicans' actions are merely a delaying tactic, it will become quickly clear. This happens often in politics, but we hope it is not happening here.

The environment is not normally a completely partisan topic. Many Republican senators are heavily supported by those who have a deep interest in taking care of the environment.

Likewise, a number of Democratic senators have support from heavy industry groups that don't want to see the their rules tightened.

That climate change is occurring is only doubted by people who refuse to believe the science.

There is not much doubt that man is having an impact on this process, though natural forces may also be at play.

The questions really surround how much man can do to stop it and what those steps should be.

It is not productive for Republican senators to stay away from the table or for the Democrats not to give all the information needed.

It would be nice, for once, to see our elected representatives work together for a solution. We are not holding our breath.