The U.S. Senate has yet to act on the controversial climate change bill passed by the House of Representatives on June 26th. Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT) says the bill will hurt Montanans by increasing energy costs, but Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) says the bill would actually be a big boost for the state.

The bill is designed to slow global warming by placing caps on the amount of greenhouse gases American businesses can produce, while creating green jobs through investments in renewable energy.

Schweitzer says the will help the U.S. wean off its dependence on foreign oil and could be a big job creator for western states like Montana who have significant energy resources.

"This is a system that will encourage American energy to be produced in America. We can no longer be dependent on oil coming for these dictators all over the world," said Schweitzer. "This is a system that recognizes the strengths and assets we have in the western United States and we'll be able to grow."

Congressman Rehberg though is warning Montanans about pitfalls in the cap and trade energy bill. The Republican recently wrapped up a series of eight town hall meetings across southeastern Montana where he warned constituents about higher energy costs for all Montanans if the bill becomes law.

Rehberg instead calls the bill "cap and tax" and claims the caps placed on greenhouse gas emissions will effectively act as a "tax" that is ultimately passed on to consumers. He says Democrats could not have picked a worse time to bring the idea forward, given our current recession.