legislation

Lieberman and Warner prepare an amendment calling for more support for nukes

Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) are already circulating a proposed amendment [PDF] to their own Climate Security Act that would alter the bill to include more explicit support for nuclear power. The amendment calls for “a portion of funds, as determined necessary by the appropriate committees of jurisdiction,” to be deposited into […]

Full text of the substitute amendment to Lieberman-Warner now available

The full-text of the amendment [PDF] to the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act is now available, which answers some of the outstanding questions stemming from the outline Sen. Boxer has been circulating. A few important areas to look at in the new version: Cost containment: This is the mechanism, also called an “emergency off-ramp,” that will […]

Time to focus on tax credits, not Lieberman-Warner

I love House. Not the House of Representatives, but the TV show.

Everybody loves to see people with seemingly inexplicable symptoms saved from sure death. No doubt that explains the fascination with the Lieberman-Warner bill. But people ... I've been trying to be gentle about this ... it's dead. Sure, like Amber on the season finale [spoiler alert!] L-W can be briefly revived so we can say goodbye to it forever, but that is really just a soap opera gimmick.

We don't need to say goodbye to L-W; we need to focus all our effort on those important bills that are still clinging to life, bills that haven't already signed a contract to appear on another TV show next season -- like the investment tax credit that is crucial to keeping the momentum going on core technologies that can avert catastrophic climate change (see Barlett op-ed and PG&E op-ed). To L-W supporters, I can only offer this eulogy:

EPW approves legislation calling on Bush to overturn EPA decision he likely forced EPA to make

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved legislation yesterday that would call on George W. Bush to sign off on California’s request for waiver — the very same waiver he likely encouraged EPA administrator Stephen Johnson to deny. “The Reducing Global Warming Pollution from Vehicles Act of 2008” would require the president to approve […]

How the $5.7 trillion in Boxer’s proposed amendment would be spent

Barbara Boxer distributed this breakdown [PDF] yesterday detailing how the dolla billz will be spent in her proposed amendment to the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. There are more than $6.7 trillion in carbon credit allowances and auction revenues that will be distributed over the life of the bill, and this shows where that goes. Feels […]

Boxer on new L-W amendment: ‘I think I have enough votes for the motion to proceed’

Barbara Boxer. Photo: Kevin Parry/ WireImage Environment and Public Works Chair Barbara Boxer held a press conference this afternoon to officially unveil the outline of her substitute amendment to the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act that she began circulating on the Hill last week. Speaking to collected members of the press, the senator stressed the differences […]

Senate Energy Committee members wring their hands about the cost of climate action

The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee held a hearing this morning on the economic effects of global climate change legislation, and as expected, it was largely devoted to stoking fears about the potential costs of meaningful action. “On the extremes, models have been used to show that legislation will have massive disruptions to the […]

Surely there must be some mistake

Branch of U.S. federal government accidentally passes bill that would provide $1.7 billion in grant funding for public transit.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing to stoke fear about the costs of climate legislation

Speaking of cost-containment and the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is holding a hearing tomorrow on “recent reports analyzing the energy and economic impacts of climate change legislation.” Many political observers see this as a move intended to scare up concern among Senate Democrats that meaningful action on global […]