DC Hill Update 1/12: - Momentum for Climate Legislation Persists – and We Need to Keep it that Way

With health care passed in the Senate, and Senators back at home, the 2010 legislative calendar is still fairly fluid.

Climate is on everybody's radar, but with competing priorities on the table, there is a growing need for pressure on our leaders to make sure climate is addressed this year well before the mid-term elections take over.

1. Senate Climate Timing

• 1/19 -- Senate resumes
• 1/20 -- Possible vote on Senator Lisa Murkowski's (R-AK) attack on the Clean Air Act
• 2/2 -- State of the Union Address (apparently tentative due to sweeps week on the networks…)
• 2/13-2/21 -- President's Day Senate recess

2. State of the Senate Climate Bill

With Senate communicators still focused on conferencing the health care bill, some pundits have become less confident that a comprehensive climate bill will be considered this year. Chris Cillizza, from The Washington Post:

…there is now no chance that the Administration's climate-change proposal will come up for a vote in the Senate prior to the 2010 election. Politicians never like casting controversial votes, but they like doing so even less in an election year.

Others point out that a substantial amount of momentum for a climate and energy bill remains:

• The New Republic offers an in-depth look at the momentum behind a climate bill.
• The Hill notes that one of the most vulnerable moderate Democrats, Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA), is pushing for a climate vote this year.
• Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is refusing to bend to political pressure against climate action.
• Climate champions like Senator John Kerry (D-MA) have been pointing to Copenhagen as a reason to keep pushing for action:
  

  Not a chance in hell that after the president put American prestige on the line in Copenhagen that the Senate is going to give this issue anything less than a major push. This is big -- big -- bigger than any individual agenda. Big. The 111th Congress is not a one-trick pony incapable of tackling more than one big issue, and the cost of tackling climate change would only grow if the Senate got weak-kneed and kicked the can down the road. Not going to happen."

• 1Sky will continue to push for a comprehensive climate and energy bill as soon as possible and is working with allies to drive thousands of calls into Capitol Hill today, January 12, 2010. A strong bill has the potential to create millions of new jobs, and seal an international climate deal, both of which will help incumbents keep their seats this November.

3. Murkowski's Attack on the Clean Air Act

Senator Murkowski's (R-AK) attack on the Clean Air Act is scheduled to be voted on as early as January 20th, as an amendment to the bill raising the debt ceiling. According to Greenwire,

Murkowski aides have already starting reaching out to several of the moderate and conservative Senate Democrats who are seen as pivotal votes for the broader push to pass a climate and energy bill.

1Sky and our allies will be holding a national call-in day this Tuesday, to send a strong message to Senators that rolling back the Clean Air Act is unacceptable.

4. What Do Recent Senate Retirements Mean for Climate?

Two Democratic Senators recently announced that they will not be seeking reelection this November. Here's what we think these retirements mean for climate:

Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), climate swing

• Short term: Good, because it frees him up to vote his conscience, without the pressure of an election.
• Long term: Bad, because his seat will likely be taken by an anti-climate candidate. Most likely the current governor, John Hoeven (R) who was one of the anti-climate witnesses at the EPW hearings this fall.

What's next for Senator Dorgan? Kate Sheppard at Mother Jones thinks he's headed to work for the coal industry, a move that would make him less likely to vote for a strong climate bill. Senator Dorgan claims his retirement will not impact his stance on the climate bill.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), climate champ

• Short-term: Dodd is a climate champion, and not campaigning will allow him to focus more of his attention on strengthening and passing the climate bill.
• Long-term: Okay for climate, because even though Dodd is a dependable climate champion, his successor, Richard Blumenthal, will likely be strong on climate as well.

4. White House Announcements on the clean energy front

Last week, the White House announced that President Obama created a $2.3 billion tax credit for clean energy manufacturing.

Today, the Washington Post reports that the Obama administration will announce funding for nine projects designed to significantly increase fuel efficiency in heavy trucks and passenger vehicles, with more than half the money coming from the $787 billion stimulus package:

The White House said the nine projects would receive $187 million from the federal government, with more than $100 million coming from stimulus funds and the remainder from DOE appropriations. Recipients are expected to match government funding, creating a total investment of $375 million in the projects.

Prepared by Jason Kowalski from 1Sky’s policy team. Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.