Cap-and-Trade

Voinovich Gets Emotional During Republican Climate Change Boycott

Brian Beutler | November 4, 2009, 4:32PM

The Republican boycott of Senate climate change legislation continues today. But yesterday, Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH), whose objections sparked the boycott, insisted, in a tense, almost tearful moment, that his concerns were sincere, and implored Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)--chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee--to humor him.

Voinovich himself sounds pretty earnest. But at the same time, It's hard to fault Boxer, who, after years worth of hearings on the issue, knows that all the additional EPA studies and GOP placating in the world won't win her a single minority vote in committee. So why not move ahead?

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2009, 9:02AM

Poll: Big Majority Of Americans Support Cap-And-Trade
A new CNN poll finds 60% of Americans supporting a cap-and-trade proposal to control carbon emissions, with only 37% against it. The pollster's analysis says that independents are environmentally conscious, but Democrats would still have to work to mobilize those concerns: "Independents may not be red or blue, but they appear to be green. Earlier polls indicate that Independents believe in global warming and believe that the government can take steps to curtail the problem. But the environment is not a big priority for Independents, as it is with Democrats."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from Miami at 10 a.m. ET, arriving at 10:50 a.m. ET in Sarasota. At 12:10 p.m. ET, he will tour the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Arcadia, Florida, and will deliver remarks at 12:25 p.m. ET. He will depart from Sarasota at 2:05 p.m. ET, arriving at 3:50 p.m. ET in Norfolk, Virginia. He will deliver remarks at a 4:55 p.m. ET rally for Creigh Deeds. He will depart from Norfolk at 6:05 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 7:05 p.m. ET.

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Climate Change

Business Leaders Plan D.C. Visit to Press Swift Action on Climate Change

Brian Beutler | October 5, 2009, 9:03AM

Executives from some of the nation's most powerful corporations will visit Washington, D.C. this week to press Congress to act swiftly on far-reaching climate change legislation.

The groups, working under the umbrella of the campaign We Can Lead, will meet Wednesday and Thursday for training sessions, briefings, and advocacy on the Hill in support of the House's Waxman-Markey climate change bill and similar legislation.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | September 30, 2009, 8:58AM

New DNC Ad: Tell Republicans To "Stop The Lies" On Health Reform
The Democratic National Committee has a new ad on health care, attacking Republican leaders for "trying to scare seniors about health reform." The ad will air on national cable and in Washington, D.C.

"Tell Republicans: Stop the lies on health reform," the announcer says.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will tour a laboratory at the National Institutes of Health at 10:25 a.m. ET, with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. Obama will make a major announcement regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at 11 a.m. ET. He will sign the Arnold Palmer Gold Medal Act in the Oval Office at 1:30 p.m. ET, honoring the legendary golfer. At 3 p.m. ET, he will meet with his national security team on Afghanistan.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 17, 2009, 9:01AM

Public Option May Be Dropped
The Obama administration appears to be getting closer to dropping the public option as a proposal, shifting to a co-op plan with a better chance of passing. "The president is going to continue to try to persuade everyone of the great value of having a true public plan," an unnamed Democrat close to the White House told the New York Times. "But at the end of the day, I believe he recognizes that there are other, arguably less effective, ways to achieve greater coverage, more choice, better quality and lower cost in our system."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver remarks at the VFW National Convention in Phoenix, at 2 p.m. ET. He and the First Lady will depart from Phoenix at 3:20 p.m. ET, and arrive back at the White House at 7:35 p.m. ET.

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Cap-and-Trade

Boehner Lends His Brightly Colored Anti-Cap-and-Trade Chart To Senate Cap-and-Trade Opponents

Brian Beutler | July 13, 2009, 11:21AM

Last month, I noted that House Minority Leader John Boehner had gone to battle against the Waxman-Markey bill with a bright blue board, designed without any logic other than to imply that cap-and-trade legislation is complicated.

That battle ultimately failed--the bill passed by a slim margin--but Republicans haven't given up on the weapon. Via Grist, I see that Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) is taking up Boehner's arms as the fight moves to the Senate.

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Cap-and-Trade

Brown: I Won't Filibuster Climate Change Legislation

Brian Beutler | July 10, 2009, 6:06PM

Despite opposing cloture on a previous cap and trade bill, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says that--whether he supports the underlying bill or not--he won't support a filibuster of climate change legislation this Congress.

"I'm not going to be part of a filibuster on climate change," Brown told me today. Brown voted against ending debate on the Lieberman-Warner bill in 2007, but he says he did that because the bill had no real chance of making it to the floor, and opposing cloture was his way of expressing his objection to aspects of that legislation.

"I was not blocking the bill from having a hearing on the floor, because it wasn't gonna get to that," Brown said. "I wanted to show that I don't support this bill unless you take care of American manufacturing."

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Harry Reid

In Reversal, Senate Dem Leadership Pushes For Unity Against Filibuster

Brian Beutler | July 8, 2009, 11:04AM

As we've been reporting, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid is demanding an end to efforts to woo fence-sitting Republicans in to supporting a watered-down health care reform legislation. But that will likely alienate just about the entire GOP, and require Democrats to stand united against a filibuster if a bill is to pass through regular order.

So, I suppose it should come as no surprise that, Senate leaders are now asking members of the Democratic caucus to vote party-line on procedural issues, reversing the stance they took on caucus unity just last week.

Predictably, conservative Democrats are publicly balking at the suggestion. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) told Roll Call "I'm not a closed mind on cloture, but if it's an abuse of procedure, if it's somebody trying to put a poison pill into a bill, or if it's something that would be pre-emptive of Nebraska law, or something that rises to extraordinary circumstances, then I've always reserved the right to vote against cloture."

And Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)--a stickler when it comes to the public option and, an outright opponent of climate change legislation--said "I'm going to keep an open mind, but I am not committing to any procedural straitjackets one way or another," she said.

But for his part, Reid is actually putting himself on the line. "On procedural votes," he predicted, "we'll keep Democrats together." That's a fairly dramatic about face from the position he held just last week, after it became clear that Al Franken would be coming to Washington. "We have 60 votes on paper," Reid said. "But we cannot bulldoze anybody; it doesn't work that way. My caucus doesn't allow it. And we have a very diverse group of senators philosophically. I am not this morning suddenly flexing my muscles."

Cap-and-Trade

The Mark-Up, 06-29-2009

Brian Beutler | June 29, 2009, 6:06PM

TPMDC's update on the biggest legislative initiatives on the Hill:

• Climate Change: The House did its part on Friday, passing the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. And they did it in a way that could, in theory, hold a great amount of sway with fence-sitting Democrats in the Senate. (Republicans are a different story--eight GOPers voted for the bill, but the rest sided with House Minority Leader John Boehner who called it a "pile of shit.") But success (and a successful bill) will depend in large part on factors like the Senate schedule, and White House involvement, which remain big unknowns.
• Health Care: The House of Representatives will begin the mark-up process on a health reform bill, drafted by three different committees of jurisdiction: Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, and Ways and Means. Thus far, the roll out in that chamber has been pretty seamless, especially by comparison to the action in the Senate. But figuring out how to keep things moving smoothly while three committees make changes to it independently turns out to be a bit tricky. We should know more about that process soon.

Congress is not in session this week.

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Topics: Cap-and-Trade, Climate Change, House of Representatives, Senate

Barack Obama

With Climate Change Vote, House Tries To Prod Senate Into Action--Will It Work?

Brian Beutler | June 29, 2009, 3:23PM

The White House and Democratic leaders in Congress were in top political form on Friday, ushering the Waxman-Markey bill to passage by the narrowest of margins. In so doing, they picked off Democratic fence sitters strategically, to use what leverage they have to pressure Senate moderates into voting for passage as well.

For instance, a number of Democratic reps from states like Indiana, Missouri, and others voted for passage, which could make it harder for skeptical senators like Claire McCaskill and Evan Bayh to filibuster, or vote against it.

They also tailored the bill in such a way that it will be more palatable to Democratic senators from manufacturing states--like Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania and Sherrod Brown in Ohio--than past climate change bills have been.

But much will also depend on the timeline.

Read more »

Barack Obama

Obama Mocks GOPers Who Say Cap And Trade Will Cost $3,000 Per Household

Brian Beutler | June 29, 2009, 11:32AM

Over the weekend, after the Waxman-Markey climate change bill passed the House by a predictably slim margin, President Obama sat down with some climate and energy reporters to discuss the state of play of energy reform.

Addressing the political risk some Democrats took by voting for the bill, Obama mocked the GOP for perpetuating a myth that should be familiar to readers of TPMDC. "So are there going to be nay-sayers?" Obama asked. "Absolutely."

Are there going to be short-term instances where you can get political gain by scaring the bejesus out of people and telling them that their electricity rates are going to go up a thousand percent and this is going to be a tax of $3,000 -- even though the studies that they cite the authors of say that these guys are just lying about these costs? Yes. Those political talking points will, in some cases, have some short-term impact.

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Cap-and-Trade

Boehner Fights Climate Bill With Filibuster, Brightly Colored Poster

Brian Beutler | June 26, 2009, 6:00PM

As I reported yesterday, House Minority Leader John Boehner has seemingly traded in his old talking point on cap and trade legislation for a blue chart with brightly colored words on it.

Moments ago, he brought his new weapon to the House floor.

Unfortunately for Boehner, it doesn't seem to be changing anybody's mind with respect to the Waxman-Markey bill. But more unfortunately for its supporters, he's also poised to drag this debate on for hours by reading a recently incorporated 300 page amendment to the bill out loud. A pseudo-filibuster, if you will, to delay the vote as long as possible.

Climate Change

Opponent Of Waxman Markey Now Supporter Of Waxman Markey

Brian Beutler | June 26, 2009, 4:59PM

Earlier today, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) gave a blistering speech on the House floor, attacking the Waxman-Markey bill from the left and urging members to oppose it. Here's video via Friends of the Earth.

But just moments ago he had a change of heart. He called the GOP a "flat-Earth society" and said he would vote for the bill. That's some whip operation they've got going on over there.

Climate Change

One By One, Fence Sitters Come Out In Support Of Waxman-Markey

Brian Beutler | June 26, 2009, 3:20PM

I don't have a complete list, but as the Waxman-Markey bill makes its way to a final vote, it's worth pointing out that just about all of the undecided Democrats who've come off the fence have announced that they will vote for it.

Some prominent examples: Reps Ike Skelton (D-MO), David Scott (D-GA), Sander Levin (D-MI), and, possibly, uber-Blue Dog Allen Boyd (D-FL)

Climate Change

Tracking The Waxman-Markey Fence Sitters--Ike Skelton Comes Around

Brian Beutler | June 26, 2009, 2:04PM

House leaders are still cracking their whips, scaring up votes for the Waxman-Markey bill. For the most part, they're up against a posse of moderate and conservative, and energy and manufacturing state Democrats. If you're keeping track, you can read a couple of extremely helpful scorecards here (PDF) and here.

And speaking of incredibly helpful, Brad Plumer's live-twittering the floor debate. He reports that Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), who just yesterday was an avowed fence sitter, has come around and decided to support the bill, citing the idea that Congressional action will be preferable to the Environmental Protection Agency acting on its own.

Late update: While Democrats try to squeeze the bill through the House (Rep. David Scott (D-GA) is now on board, too), Republicans are offering amendments like this one to scrap the bill entirely and replace it with a Manhattan Project for energy financed by magic.

AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO Urges Congressmen To Pass Climate Bill

Brian Beutler | June 25, 2009, 6:33PM

This is not completely unexpected, but it is very much new. The AFL-CIO has sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to vote 'yes' on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill. Labor has been involved in the process for a while, and fairness to workers was a key consideration for the lawmakers who wrote the bill. But this is also the first time the group has supported energy legislation like this, and the move gives cover to moderates and representatives from blue collar districts to support the bill and avoid inevitable jobs attacks.

The full letter appears below the fold.

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John Boehner

Boehner: ZOMG! Climate Change Legislation Is Complicated!

Brian Beutler | June 25, 2009, 5:54PM

While House Minority Leader John Boehner might be refraining, at least for now, from claiming that cap and trade legislation will cost consumers thousands of dollars a year, he's still attacking the Waxman-Markey bill. His latest tactic involves placing a bunch of brightly colored words and acronyms on a poster and citing it as evidence that addressing climate change is just too complicated.

"If you look at this chart, this is how this process will work," Boehner said, referring to the above illustration which outlines no process whatsoever. "With the EPA being in the middle, look at all of these different agencies that are involved. This is the most elaborate thing that I have seen and you know, I have been here a while and I've seen some pretty crazy things, but I have never seen anything this ridiculous."

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Cap-and-Trade

Despite CBO Report, Republicans Continue To Claim Climate Legislation Could Cost $3100 Per Household

Brian Beutler | June 25, 2009, 5:39PM

Earlier this week I reported that a Congressional Budget Office analysis had determined that--despite what Republicans have been alleging for weeks--the Waxman-Markey climate change bill will have only a modest financial impact on American households.

My inquiry about this discrepancy to House Minority Leader John Boehner's office went unanswered, but the next day, Boehner distributed a new set of talking points which omitted the once-omnipresent claim that the legislation would cost the average household over $3,000 annually.

Not everyone's following protocol, though.

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Henry Waxman

Climate Change Bill Set For Passage In House After Concessions

Brian Beutler | June 24, 2009, 10:46AM

The Waxman-Markey climate change bill will come to the floor of the House at the end of this week after a weeks-long dispute between the bill's chief author, Henry Waxman, and House Agriculture Committee chairman Colin Peterson.

Peterson had been threatening to whip farm-state Democrats to vote against--and therefore kill--the bill unless Waxman agreed to significant changes (subscription required).

Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) told reporters today he would vote for the House climate bill -- and bring dozens of rural lawmakers with him -- after Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) agreed to make a number of concessions that had drawn the ire of farm state members.

Waxman agreed to put the Agriculture Department -- rather than U.S. EPA -- in the lead for management of the offset program that pays farmers and other landowners to conduct environmentally friendly projects. Congress will turn to the Obama administration for guidance on how to fold in EPA.

Waxman also consented to block EPA from calculating "indirect" greenhouse gas emissions from land-use changes when implementing the federal biofuels mandate. The Democrats will impose a five-year moratorium to allow further study of the issue, with consultation from Congress, EPA, the Energy Department and USDA instrumental in restarting the measurements in the biofuels rules.

No word yet on if or when the Senate plans to take its own chainsaws to the bill.

Cap-and-Trade

House Likely To Vote On Key Climate Change Bill This Week

Brian Beutler | June 23, 2009, 9:52AM

After seeing it through a number of inter- and intraparty obstacles, House leaders will soon bring the Waxman-Markey climate change bill up for a vote--perhaps as early as Friday.

"There are some issues still under discussion, but we are confident we can resolve them by the time the bill goes to the floor on Friday," Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill told Bloomberg's Simon Lomax.

If it passes, the bill--which would create a cap and trade system to price and reduce carbon emissions--may have to wait quite a while before further action as lawmakers scramble to pass major health care legislation before taking a month-long recess in August.

Cap-and-Trade

Climate Legislation Will Cost $3,128 About $175 Per Household

Brian Beutler | June 22, 2009, 9:53AM

Two weeks ago, I noted that the Congressional Budget Office had completed a preliminary analysis of the Waxman-Markey climate change bill and determined that it would be a net deficit reducer over 10 years,

Whatever the merits of the legislation, that's an important political fact--one that makes it more difficult for Blue Dogs and other deficit hawks to oppose the bill on the inaccurate grounds that it will balloon the federal deficit. But, of course, that has only indirect bearing on the separate objection--much beloved by Republicans--that pricing carbon will be tantamount to a consumer tax. House Republicans in particular are fond of the canard that a cap and trade bill will cost the average household over $3,000.

Well, a more thorough CBO scoring reveals that they were only off by about a factor of 18.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 13, 2009, 1:01PM

Obama Proposes New Savings On Health Care, To Pay For Reform
In his weekly Presidential YouTube Address, President Obama argued that health care reform must be done quickly. And to help in this effort, he announced that he will save $313 billion in various areas, to go for paying the short-term costs of reform:

"These savings will come from commonsense changes," said Obama. "For example - if more Americans are insured, we can cut payments that help hospitals treat patients without health insurance. If the drug makers pay their fair share, we can cut government spending on prescription drugs. And if doctors have incentives to provide the best care instead of more care, we can help Americans avoid the unnecessary hospital stays, treatments, and tests that drive up costs."

Pence: Dem Energy Plan A "Declaration Of War" On Families
In this weekend's Republican address, Rep Mike Pence (R-IN) lambasted the Democratic proposals for a cap-and-trade program:

"This national energy tax amounts to an economic declaration of war on America's families, small businesses and family farms. The American people know we can do better," Pence said.

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Cap-and-Trade

CBO Says Waxman-Markey Is A Deficit Reducer

Brian Beutler | June 9, 2009, 9:52AM

Important news for the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill. The Congressional Budget Office--which analyzes the extent to which certain pieces of legislation will add to, or detract from the budget deficit--has determined that the legislation will raise billions in revenue, and that though the revenue will be spent in various ways, it won't add to the deficit.

In fact, it could even be a deficit reducer to the tune of billions of dollars.

The merits of that finding are important. But perhaps more important, for the time being, is that this blunts the ability of the bill's opponents to mischaracterize it as "fiscally irresponsible," etc. Not that they won't try anyhow...but still!

Cap-and-Trade

Inhofe: Tell Environmentalists What I Told Barbara Boxer--'Get over it. Get a life.'

Brian Beutler | June 5, 2009, 11:21AM

Republicans tend to object whenever Democrats insist on calling the GOP "the party of 'no'," but then someone like Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) will go and say something like this and suddenly we're reminded that their grounds for objection are pretty thin.

The EPA has threatened to regulate this through the Clean Air Act. That isn't going to work in my opinion because we can stall that until we get a new president--that shouldn't be a problem. ... But while the House will pass a bill ... in the Senate, they're not going to be able to pass it.

Inhofe was speaking at the Heartland Institute's Third International Conference on Climate Change, where he was a welcomed guest. In that comfortable environment, he let loose a little. "As I've told Barbara Boxer, 'Get over it. Get a Life. You've lost. We've won," Inhofe said to laughter and applause.

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Climate Change

Republican Congressman Redubs Climate Bill 'Wacky-Marxist Tax And Cap'

Brian Beutler | June 4, 2009, 5:58PM

Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) has a bit of a joke for you. "The Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade legislation is just another disguise and it's high time that we call it what it really is: a Wacky-Marxist Tax-and-Cap bill that will suffocate America's small businesses, ultimately strangling America's respiratory system."

Get it?!

The really funny part is that Broun is a doctor (as in, M.D.) so he should know that suffocation results from strangling and not the other way around. Also, that America doesn't have a respiratory system, per se.

In his press release, Broun hearkens back to the good old days when Republicans called Democrats socialists, and limited their critique of cap-and-trade legislation to the false claim--based on an intentional misreading of an M.I.T. study--that climate legislation will cost the average household thousands of dollars.

"Representative Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10) exposed the truth behind the Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade energy tax and appropriately renamed it the Wacky-Marxist Tax and Cap bill as it will increase energy costs for each family by $3,100."

Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 30, 2009, 1:04PM

Obama Praises Sotomayor -- And Dismisses Criticism -- In YouTube Address
In this week's Presidential YouTube Address, President Obama discussed his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, praising her qualifications -- and rebutting the critics:

"There are, of course, some in Washington who are attempting to draw old battle lines and playing the usual political games, pulling a few comments out of context to paint a distorted picture of Judge Sotomayor's record," said Obama. "But I am confident that these efforts will fail; because Judge Sotomayor's seventeen-year record on the bench - hundreds of judicial decisions that every American can read for him or herself - speak far louder than any attack; her record makes clear that she is fair, unbiased, and dedicated to the rule of law."

RNC Address: Daniels Blasts "Imperialistic" Cap And Trade Proposal
In this weekend's Republican address, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels blasted President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for supporting cap and trade:

"It's become clear that the Pelosi bill has little to do with a cooler planet and everything to do with raising money for the out-of-control federal spending now underway in Washington," said Daniels. "Please excuse us Midwesterners for feeling a bit like the targets of an imperialistic policy, devised in places like California, New York, and Massachusetts for their benefit, at our expense."

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Arlen Specter

Americans For Prosperity Launches Campaign Against 'Arlen Spector'

Brian Beutler | May 28, 2009, 2:49PM

The Pennsylvania chapter of the conservative group Americans For Prosperity has launched a letter-writing campaign to pressure Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) to oppose Democratic labor, energy, and health reform proposals. Unfortunately, they seem to have misspelled his name.

How embarrassing. One reader writes in to tell us that AFP is robocalling Pennsylvanians in an attempt to increase the number of signatures on a petition they plan to send him. I'm sure Senator "Spector" will carefully consider AFP's objections.

Climate Change

Speed Reading Clerk Reads Stalling Amendment To House Climate Change Legislation

Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 4:42PM

Earlier today, we reported that Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have taken an extraordinary measure to combat nefarious Republican stall tactics. Faced with the possibility that the GOP minority might require the committee's clerks to read aloud the 900-page Waxman-Markey climate change bill, or many of its 400-plus proposed amendments, the committee's chairman, Henry Waxman (D-CA), hired a speed reader. A quick tongued, acting-clerk, if you will.

His services may ultimately not be necessary, but earlier today, to break the tension between battling factions, the committee's ranking member Joe Barton (R-TX) asked the "speed reader clerk" to read part of one measly little amendment. Watch:

That amendment ultimately went down in flames. The overall bill may have gained a little bit of steam today. But presumably a bunch of Capitol Hill clerks are now worried about job security.

Cap-and-Trade

Waxman Hires Speed Reader To Combat GOP Obstruction

Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 9:06AM

We're well aware, at this point, that the House Republican strategy for opposing the Waxman-Markey climate change bill is to make the legislative process take a very, very long time. That means heaps and heaps of irrelevant amendments, written by congressmen who warn of "Global Warming Gestapo." But so far they have eschewed a maneuver that would force the Democrats to read the bill aloud. All 900-plus pages of it.

In case the GOP decides to change course, though, Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats are prepared. With a speed reader.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the new temp thinks he can plow through about one page every 34 seconds--a pretty impressive clip considering the nature of the reading material. And it means the entire stunt would only last about nine hours--significantly less than it would take if the committee's clerks were forced to do the job.

Ladies and gentlemen, your United States Congress.

Cap-and-Trade

GOPer: Climate Bill Will Create 'Global Warming Gestapo'

Brian Beutler | May 20, 2009, 6:10PM

During today's marathon markup hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) argued that, by creating federal building standards, the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill will unleash a "Global Warming Gestapo" on the good people of Louisiana and elsewhere.

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Climate Change

Cap And Trade Bill Hitting Snags In The House

Brian Beutler | May 7, 2009, 2:34PM

It's always been an intractable political issue, but the number of reports indicating that new cap-and-trade legislation is hitting a lot of snags is remarkable for a couple reasons. The first is that the bill in question--the American Clean Energy and Security Act--has been introduced in the House, where legislation can be fast tracked much more easily than it can in the Senate. The second is that it's lead sponsor, Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-CA), is an extremely talented legislator, who has put a tremendous number of professional resources into making sure the government addresses climate change.

Almost two weeks ago, worried that the bill would stall, Waxman had to delay its first markup hearing. Then, last week, a rift emerged between Waxman and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, over the viability of passing major energy legislation this year. Now, House Blue Dogs are trying to torpedo the bill, and Waxman has been put in the position of promising to provide manufacturers and energy producers with billions of dollars worth of free pollution permits under its terms.

And that's all before there's been a single vote on it. We'll keep tracking the bill's progress. Climate change legislation reportedly remains President Obama's and Speaker Pelosi's chief legislative priority. But these developments must come as unwelcome news both to them and to the environmentalists who came out quickly in praise of the bill when it was released earlier this spring.

Mike Pence

Mike Pence Pushes Discredited GOP Line On Cap-And-Trade

Brian Beutler | May 5, 2009, 2:50PM

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), chairman of the House Republican Caucus, went on MSNBC earlier today to reiterate a familiar talking point.

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