The Skywriter

DC Hill climate update, Markey-Waxman preview edition--3/30

30
Mar

DC Hill climate update, Markey-Waxman preview edition--3/30

By Jason Kowalski

This week we're expecting a the first piece of legislation this Congress introduces in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and it’s a very important one.

Markey-Waxman discussion draft due out this week

The official release of the climate bill draft by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) will be Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. The release will be met with mixed statements from advocacy groups; some critics will attack the draft -- and cap-and trade in general -- while others will cheer it as a great start, and yet others will cheer for the bill, but demand even stronger action.

We're not sure what this bill contains, but we do know that it's framed as a "discussion draft." The bill may very well have gaps in content that will be filled in over the next two months. Those gaps make field mobilization during the April congressional recess even more important. April meetings with member and the press will set the stage for the 5-weeks of bill-crafting that will follow on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Sign up now to meet your member of Congress in April.

Other Energy and Commerce Committee energy bills

We now have a few of these bills, which very well may get lumped into the greater Markey-Waxman package, as it leaves the full Committee in late May after Memorial Day:

House Ways and Means Committee, and their evolving climate role

Chairman Rangel is holding a steady stream of hearings pertaining to climate policy, and Committee members are split between cap and trade, and a carbon tax. Last Thursday, carbon tax advocate and Democratic Caucus Chair John Larson (D-CT) insisted that House Democrats would fuse together pieces of a carbon tax plan with many of the components associated with a cap-and-trade approach. "I think the word 'hybrid' is operative here," he said. "Because I think you're going to see that. I'm agnostic in terms of what you call it. ... It's just a matter of the mechanism."

Top concerns also include mechanisms for offsetting increased prices for low and moderate-income consumers (i.e. rebates, efficiency programs, and tax credits).
Overall, we have yet to see what pieces of the quickly evolving climate/energy bill will be given to this committee. Pelosi is beginning to get more involved in how jurisdiction will be shared, but Waxman and Markey will likely remain the primary architects of this legislation.

Last week, Rep Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) introduced the first cap and trade bill this Congress into the Ways and Means Committee. Highlights include 20% reductions within the cap below current levels by 2020 (vs. 35% proposed in the 1Sky platform and by the IPCC, and 14% in President Obama's platform). Doggett's system resembles a carbon tax between the years 2012 and 2020, then transitions into a flexible cap and trade system in 2021. The bill has 21 diverse co-sponsors.

Budget reconciliation (i.e. passing a bill in the Senate with only 51 rather than 60 votes required) remains a hot topic

Climate champs in the Senate are in favor of keeping reconciliation on the table. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are still pushing for a special procedure to fast-track climate legislation. "I think frankly at this point it may be very difficult for us to pass a serious global warming bill if we need 60 votes, that's the bottom line," Sanders told E&E. "Because by the time you've got to that 60th vote, I'm afraid the bill has been watered down to a degree that it may not be able to address the very serious crisis that we have today."

On the other hand, House climate champions oppose reconciliation. Energy and Commerce Committee Democratic Reps Markey, Waxman, Rick Boucher (VA), and John Dingell (MI) wrote a letter to the President opposing a fast-track for climate legislation this year. This is interesting common ground for these diverse Democrats to be finding. The text of their letter sets a positive tone for the kind of collaboration we need to see between these members in the coming months.

Obama himself however, seems to be leaning toward regular order as a vehicle for getting and energy bill passed - which is great for building a sense of inevitability:

Our point in the budget is let's get started now. We can't wait. And my expectation is that the energy committees, or other relevant committees, in both the House and the Senate, are going to be moving forward a strong energy package. It'll be authorized. We'll get it done. And I will sign it.

Blue Green Alliance weighs in with principles on climate legislation

Signers of the Alliance document (PDF) include: the Sierra Club, NRDC, SEIU, USW, CWA, and LiUNA -- 6 million members collectively.

Highlights from their document include:

  • 14-25% domestic reductions below 2005 levels by 2020, with extra reductions coming from uncovered sectors;

  • Support for strong complimentary policies;

  • Strong pro-auction language (as opposed to giveaways to big polluters);

  • Support for key international funding provisions;

  • Support for directly offsetting cost increases for low and moderate- income consumers via energy efficiency and rebates.

Obama publicly links natural disaster to climate change

From Inforum (Fargo, ND) via Climate Progress:

"If you look at the flooding that's going on right now in North Dakota and you say to yourself, ‘If you see an increase of two degrees, what does that do, in terms of the situation there?’ Obama told reporters at the White House Monday. ‘That indicates the degree to which we have to take this seriously."

If you know of any other important climate policy developments, please share them in the comments!

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