The Long Road to Congressional Action to Curb Global Warming
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a potential presidential contender in 2008, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut Independent, have been pushing for climate change legislation since 2003. None of their previous attempts could gain traction in the Republican-controlled Congress, however, and the White House never supported the legislation. The new bill is a modified version of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act, first introduced in 2003.
Since first taking office in 2001, President Bush has consistently opposed mandatory caps for greenhouse gases, claiming such measures would seriously undermine the U.S. economy. Those economic concerns is the primary reason Bush gave for refusing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which places mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions.
Now that Democrats control both houses of Congress, McCain, Lieberman and the four original cosponsors of the bill—including Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), another potential 2008 presidential contender—expect strong support for the measure.
"Given our will and what's at stake, America can and must assume its proper leadership role in addressing the preeminent environmental issue of our time," McCain said in a statement.
Mandatory Caps on Six Greenhouse Gases
The bill outlines a “cap-and-trade” plan, which would place mandatory caps on six kinds of greenhouse gases but give companies and utilities a choice of how to comply. They could either reduce their emissions directly or purchase and trade credits to help offset their greenhouse gas emissions. The plan would apply to greenhouse gas emissions from four business sectors: electric utilities, transportation, general industry and commercial.
Under the new Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from the four regulated business sectors would be cut back to 2.096 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, compared to 6.130 billion metric tons in 2000.
New Congressional Focus on Global Warming and the Environment
The switch from Republican to Democrat leadership in Congress has increased the focus on environmental issues and opened the door to potential legislative action to curb global warming, including:
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), new chair of the Senate Energy Committee, has a bill that would lower U.S. carbon emissions 5 percent by 2015 and 14 percent by 2030.
- Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), new chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, has called for a hearing on climate change and global warming, to be held January 30, 2007.
- Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), new chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, also has called for hearings on climate change. Dingell has invited former Vice President Al Gore to testify. An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s documentary film on global warming, has become a box-office sensation and helped to establish Gore as a leading spokesman on the issue of global warming.
