Environment and Public Works Committee:

All of the Members of the Democratic Caucus on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee have joined together to oppose a proposal by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) global warming endangerment finding.

Here is the letter:

epw_murkowski –

Kate Sheppard at Mother Jones:

What is important is both the public appearance by Graham and the emergence of Lieberman as the third wingman. In his remarks, Graham seemed to distance himself from the Republicans on the Environment and Public Works Committee that are boycotting the markup of the Kerry-Boxer bill.”If you can’t participate in solving the problem, then why are you up here?” said Graham.

But later in the day he sided with EPW’s Republican rebels. In a letter to EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, Graham joined with Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine—all seen as potential “yes” votes—to endorse the call for further EPA analysis. “As Senators interested in a bipartisan approach to addressing climate change and energy independence this Congress, we have a keen interest in ensuring that cost estimates, models, and other data critical to the legislative process be made available to members of Congress and the public in a timely manner,” they wrote. “We cannot support legislation without this information.”

Here is the letter, which was from Senators Graham, Collins, Snowe and Gregg:

Friends of the Earth:

“It is extremely disconcerting to hear scientists speak about the level of action needed to prevent radical and dangerous climate destabilization, and then to see how far short even one of the most environmentally friendly committees in Congress has fallen.

“While the bill reported out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today is in some ways better than the bill that passed the House in June—for example, it protects some important Clean Air Act provisions (others are still eliminated)—it remains a woefully disproportionate response to the tremendous economic, security and public health threats posed by global warming.

“The bill’s backbone is a poorly regulated carbon trading scheme that entrusts the Wall Street bankers who brought us the current economic crisis with the responsibility to solve global warming. The bill showers polluting corporations with billions of dollars, but doesn’t require them to reduce pollution fast enough to avoid devastating climate change impacts. And it contains massive carbon offset loopholes that would allow U.S. polluters to keep polluting by paying for often-non-existent pollution reductions overseas. Other loopholes, such as excluding pollution from bioenergy, also undermine the bill’s intent.

“These flaws are unacceptable, and they are the result of a defective political system in which polluting corporations, Wall Street traders, and their lobbyists continue to exert far too much influence. Too many senators are siding with special interests instead of advocating solutions that are in the public interest. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who today voted ‘no’ while making the absurdly contradictory claims that he wants to fight climate change but that this bill is too strong, is one such senator.

“Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) now appear to be moving forward with an attempt to produce an even weaker bill—one friendlier to the oil, coal and nuclear industries. Senators who wish to be responsible shepherds of their constituents’ tax dollars, as well as stewards of our planet, should reject such giveaways.

“Most Republicans are more closely aligned with Senator James Inhofe (R-Ok.) than Senator Graham. Inhofe is still in denial about basic aspects of climate science. Instead of participating in the legislative process, he threw temper tantrums and boycotted this week’s hearings. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) deserves credit for not yielding to his and other Republicans’ stall tactics.

“The lack of aggressive action by Congress falls far short of the global community’s expectations. People around the world are hoping for U.S. leadership in addressing the climate crisis, but the approach represented by this bill is so weak it could cause international climate negotiations to disintegrate.

“Congress has a tremendous opportunity to strengthen our economy, create millions of green jobs, and stabilize our climate, but that opportunity is being squandered. This must change. In the meantime, the Obama administration must be aggressive and immediately use its legal mandate under the Clean Air Act to crack down on polluters, and forward-thinking state and local officials must also continue advancing their own solutions.”

Sierra Club:

“The Sierra Club is pleased that Chairwoman Boxer and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee reported out the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act today. This is an important step toward a clean energy economy that works for everyone. It makes America more energy independent creating new jobs with safer, cleaner energy sources that are made in America and work for America.”

“We are distressed that the Republican Senators on the committee were unwilling to even sit down and discuss this important plan for less pollution, more jobs and greater security.Polluters like Oil and Coal are spending tens of millions of dollars to stand in the way of progress. It appears that the Senators who boycotted these meetings have sided with those special interests.”

“Fortunately a bipartisan group of Senators led by John Kerry and Lyndsay Graham are working together to find constructive ways to keep this effort moving forward. We look forward to working with that group to finish a bill that will build our clean energy economy, and not let polluters get away with their dirty business-as-usual ways.”

Senator Boxer:

“A Majority of the EPW Committee voted to send the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act – S. 1733 — to the floor of the Senate today in full accordance with longstanding Committee and Senate Rules.  We did it for three reasons.

• S. 1733 addresses a crucial issue of our time and advancing the bill is a necessary step on the road to garnering the 60 votes we need for a comprehensive bill that will be melded together from various Committees and Senators from different regions of the country.  This bill is already being worked on by Senators Kerry, Lieberman, Graham and others.

• We found, after questioning the EPA extensively, that the Republicans’ demand for another EPA analysis now would be duplicative and a waste of taxpayer dollars. The absence of the Republicans during the EPA’s presentation was a clear message that their criticism of the EPA analysis was not a substantive one.  Indeed, the EPA said their economic analysis was “unprecedented” in scope and was never done for any other energy or climate bill at this stage of the process.
  

• The Committee and Senate rules that have been in place during Republican and Democratic majorities are there to be used when the Majority feels it is in the best interest of their states and of the nation to act.  A majority of the Committee believes that S. 1733, and the efforts that will be built upon it, will move us away from foreign oil imports that cost Americans one billion dollars a day, it will protect our children from pollution, create millions of clean energy jobs, and stimulate billions of dollars of private investment.

We are pleased that despite the Republican boycott, we have been able to move the bill.”

Senator Reid:

“The committee’s action today is a critically important step toward crafting a good strong clean energy and climate bill. There is much more work yet to do to obtain broad support for bipartisan legislation that can quickly put our nation on a path of reducing emissions cost-effectively and creating jobs and a cleaner more secure future.”

Senator Kerry:

“Congratulations to Chairman Barbara Boxer who this morning advanced landmark legislation out of her committee. She did so under the toughest of circumstances, after months of meetings, deliberations, and vigorous debate. This wasn’t easy, but her commitment was resolute. Today’s step in the process sends a clear message to the world that the United States is serious about tackling climate change and securing our clean energy future.

“Working with the leaders of five other committees, building support from Democrats and Republicans across the ideological spectrum, the hard work continues on the path to 60 votes in the Senate under the leadership of Majority Leader Reid. We should remember that the 2008 Republican presidential nominee called for strong, mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and Sen. Lindsey Graham has joined us in this year’s fight. We can rediscover bi-partisan progress once again. Chairman Boxer and I are determined to see this Congress pass a strong climate bill for the President to sign. This is and has always been a big lift, but heading into Copenhagen, we have momentum on our side.”

Jeremy Symons, senior vice president of the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“The bill’s success in committee today, combined with yesterday’s announcement by Senators Graham, Kerry and Lieberman of plans for a bipartisan bill, add up to a big boost for action in the Senate. A month ahead of the global climate talks in Copenhagen next month, Senators have sent a signal to the President and the nations of the world that Congress is getting closer to the finish line.

“The National Wildlife Federation thanks Sen. Boxer for her unwavering leadership and the bill’s supporters for their commitment to clean energy jobs, energy security, and protecting America’s natural resources for our children and grandchildren. It’s unfortunate Senator Inhofe kept his team on the bench for today’s markup, proving once again he’s the oil industry’s biggest ally in Congress. But the focus now shifts to Senators Graham, Kerry and Lieberman as they work to deliver bipartisan clean energy and climate solutions.”

In addition to the statement from Clean Energy Works, Senator Inhofe has released the following statement:

“I am deeply disappointed by Chairman Boxer’s decision to violate the rules and longstanding precedent of the committee,” Senator Inhofe said. “The Republicans offered a clear path forward to a bipartisan markup, but it was summarily rejected by Chairman Boxer. Instead, she decided to ignore the entreaties of all 6 ranking members from Senate committees with some share of jurisdiction over climate change legislation, as well as leading moderates in the Senate. Her action signals the death knell for the Kerry Boxer bill.

“As was written recently, the Kerry-Boxer bill is ‘bad policy’ that ‘resembles the failed climate proposals of the past.’ It is time for a different approach, one that grows, rather than shrinks our economy, creates, rather than destroys jobs, and strengthens, rather than weakens our energy security. We can do this by encouraging development of all of America’s vast energy resources.”