By Gillian Caldwell
In just a few hours, the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill goes to the House Floor for a vote. Our policy fellows just did a rapid review of the 300 page Manager’s Amendment on the Waxman-Markey’s bill, and are reporting out a DRAFT summary of its contents (PDF).
On balance, we were pleased to see a number of key strengthening amendments in the areas of renewable energy and worker transition, and we have been urged to take credit for our strong collective efforts to improve the bill. As our allies at Green For All just wrote when it comes to low income communities:
Now, the bill provides opportunity for low-income communities and communities of color. Now, there are protections in the bill that ensure that working families don't bear the cost for big polluters. Now, there is significant funding for green job training programs that build pathways out of poverty. And now, these good jobs will be accessible to low-income and local workers.
In addition, there are important new funds available for renewable energy.
We also want to highlight some important improvements in the bill thanks to the efforts of 1Sky and so many of our close allies who fought hard to improve the bill. Read the draft summary (PDF) for the highlights. On the downside, see the summary on what agro-business exacted.
We still have a long way to go to get where we need to be, but today is an important first step and we should take it. We must pass the bill off the House floor. We are strongly urging a YES for all strengthening amendments, a YES for passage, and a NO for weakening. We have been hitting our lists and phone banking and our website just crashed because thousands of people were trying to access it simultaneously to make calls and send faxes -- but the site is back up and we are swinging!
