This is the week of markups and cut-downs when it comes to climate. Monday began the first day of committee markup on the climate bill, which is a week-long session the House Energy and Commerce Committee will use to debate the Waxman/Markey bill. So far, the markup has displayed continued moderate Democratic support and repetitive complaints from GOP members, along with a whopping 450 possible amendments written by Republicans. However, Rep. Barton (R-Texas) stated that he only expects the GOP to focus on about 150 of the amendments. Some proposed amendments include expanding renewable energy sources to include nuclear or carbon-capture, proposed by Rep. Whitfield (R-Ky), and terminating the bill all together if unemployment reaches 10%, proposed by Rep. Upton ( R- Mich.).
Democrats have offered their own amendments as well, including a revised bill from Reps. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Markey (D-Mass.) and a call for a Clean Energy Investment Bank from Rep. Dingell (D-Mich.).
The markup is expected to be completed before the Memorial Day recess – while some of us wait with our fingers crossed, other students and young people are calling their Representatives and participating in sit-ins at the Capitol to demand a strong climate bill.
Also big news for this week – Obama will announce a plan to cut tailpipe emissions nationally, a huge and history-breaking step for the United States. Check out this Progress Report article for more:
Today, President Obama will unveil “the first-ever national emission limits for cars and trucks,” a move that Sierra Club President Carl Pope says is “one of the most significant efforts undertaken by any president, ever, to end our addiction to oil and seriously slash our global warming emissions.” Daniel Becker of the Safe Climate Campaign calls it “single biggest step the American government has ever taken to cut greenhouse-gas emissions.” The Obama administration will also raise fuel efficiency targets so that by 2016, cars and light trucks will have an average mile requirement of 35.5 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2016.