Seven Republicans joined all Senate Democrats in voting to tie climate change to national security. They also asked for congressional actions to fight the rapidly increasing carbon pollution and investing in energy efficiency and renewable power.

A GOP proposal to stop the president’s Clean Power Plan in its tracks was not even brought up for a vote.

It was seen that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was not able to gather filibuster-proof majority for a low-bore proposal of his own to encourage states to challenge the president's plan to cut carbon pollution from the nation's dirty power plants.

Republican leaders remained committed to derail progress on climate change offering no plan of their own to confront the central environmental challenge of our time.

Portman, a leading senate Republican, proposed an amendment to put a spike in the heart of President Obama's plan to clean up dirty power plants and cut the harmful carbon pollution which is the major cause for climate change.

Portman's proposal wasn't brought up for a vote, though, presumably because it lacked the sufficient support its backers had hoped to see.

Republicans seem to be quite determined to push a big polluter agenda to weaken protections for air, water, wildlife and lands and for restraining the enforcement of common sense safeguards.

Some signs show that a few Republicans have become cautious of McConnell's radical opposition to the action that they need to protect future generations from the dangers of climate change.

Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, introduced a measure calling for action to protect Americans from the impacts of human-induced climate change.

The measure is a symbolic gesture suggesting that action is needed against the fossil fuel consumption driving climate change.

It has also received huge support from five Republicans, including Kelly Ayotte, NH; Susan Collins, ME; Lindsey Graham, SC; Mark Kirk, IL; and Rob Portman, OH.