Dec. 6 (Bloomberg) -- The Bush administration today said Senate committee passage of a bill calling for mandatory cuts in global warming-causing pollution won't change its negotiating stance during United Nations climate change treaty talks.

Harlan Watson, a senior climate negotiator representing the U.S. at the talks on the Indonesian island of Bali, said passage of the legislation by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ``won't alter'' the U.S. position during negotiations.

President George W. Bush has opposed the mandatory emissions caps called for by the United Nations, European Union, scientists and an increasing number of Republican lawmakers, companies and religious leaders. Bush has said a government- mandated limit would hurt the economy and cost jobs.

Instead, his administration is in Bali pushing for measures to spur ``clean'' technology and call for each country to come up with its own mix of policies to curb greenhouse-gas emissions.

At one point during the news briefing in Bali, Watson said the administration was ``pleased'' with the Senate action. He later clarified that the White House doesn't endorse the bill. Watson didn't elaborate further on the administration's current view of national limits on global warming pollution.

The Senate measure, sponsored by Virginia Republican John Warner and Connecticut Independent Joe Lieberman, was approved yesterday in a 11-8 vote. It was the first time legislation requiring emissions cuts passed a Congressional panel.

Carbon Trading

The bill, which still needs to pass the full Senate, would create a potential $300 billion carbon-trading market. It faces opposition by industry and the likelihood of compromise being needed to pass the U.S. House of Representatives.

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said passage of the climate bill through committee is a ``very encouraging sign from the U.S.''

Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer of California and John Kerry of Massachusetts plan to travel to Bali later this week or next. The climate negotiations run through Dec. 14. The UN aims to have an agreement for a new treaty by the end of 2009.

Two days ago, Democratic Representative Edward Markey, chairman of the House panel on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and the heads of nine other House committees sent a letter to de Boer contending that Bush's opposition to a carbon cap doesn't reflect the position of many Congressional members, state governors and the majority of Americans.

``While the current administration continues to drag its feet on climate change, the American public and mainstream political leaders are ready for action now,'' they said in the letter. ``We hope the international community will bear this in mind when evaluating the U.S. negotiating position at the Bali conference.''

U.S. Support

Environmentalists including Alden Meyer, a lobbyist for the Union of Concerned Scientists, say the letter reflects the widespread view that U.S. support for carbon emission limits is just a matter of time.

``The political landscape in the U.S. is shifting dramatically,'' he said at a news briefing yesterday in Bali. ``The U.S. will take on mandatory emissions limits under the next president, if not this one.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Chipman in Denpasar, Indonesia at kchipman@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: December 6, 2007 18:41 EST