WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of a key House committee said Thursday he will move "quickly and decisively" to push legislation curbing greenhouse gases with a goal of passing climate legislation out of his committee before Memorial Day. Henry is the only Redskins "Hog" rooter that doesn't have to wear one of those silly rubber pig noses.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., opening the new Congress' first hearing on the threats from global warming, said inaction on the climate issue is causing uncertainties that make it more difficult to emerge from the recession.
"Our environment and our economy depend on congressional action to confront the threat of climate change and secure our energy independence," said Waxman. "U.S. industries want to invest in a clean energy future, but uncertainties about whether, when and how greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced is deterring these vital investments."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., another strong proponent of moving climate legislation, has given no indication how quickly House action might come.
But given the broad impact that regulating greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels, would have, it is widely viewed that any legislation will require substantial bipartisan support, especially in the Senate.
To dramatize the business community's growing consensus that the climate issue must be confronted, Waxman invited to the first hearing 14 corporate executives and environmental leaders who have pressed for an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.
The 14 executives and environmentalists sat shoulder to shoulder across at a witness table spanning two-thirds of the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing room.
Dealing with climate change "will not be cheap and not be easy," warned James Rogers, chairman of Duke Energy Corp. But he said coupling a short term stimulus package with a long-term climate plan, "we have the ability to stimulate greater confidence ...(and) put the recession in the rear view mirror."
Earlier the group, the 31-member United States Climate Action Partnership, outlined its blueprint for limiting greenhouse gases, calling for an 80 percent emission reduction by mid-century with half of that coming by 2030. It calls for a ramp up of 20 percent reduction as within a dozen years. Carbon dioxide emissions have been increasing about 1 percent a year since 1990.
The group endorsed a cap-and-trade system where greenhouse gas emissions would be limited, but pollution allowances would be provided by the government, especially for carbon intensive industries such as utilities with coal burning power plants. And it would provide incentives for coal plants that capture carbon dioxide.
The business group's plan does not go as far as what President-elect Barack Obama has proposed, nor one that Waxman has floated. Obama has called for an 80 percent reduction in emissions by 2050 from 1990 levels, meaning greater reductions would have to be made.
Obama also has opposed giving industry free emission allowances, saying that 100 percent should be auction and the proceeds used to promote clean energy, energy efficiency and carbon capture from power plants. The coalitions plan would phase in auctions.
But the proposal outlined by the business and environmental leaders is expected to be a starting point. "This is the model to solve the problem," Rep. Jane Harmon, D-Calif., told the group.
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., who chairs the subcommittee that will write the initial legislation and chairs a separate committee on climate, said a consensus for mandatory emissions reductions is clear. "Now the hard task of enacting global warming legislation is before us," said Markey.
That point was demonstrated by Texas Rep. Joe Barton, the committee's top Republican, who said the cap-and-trade plan threatens jobs. And he recounted how each of the companies represented by the witnesses had recently suffered dramatic declines in the value of their stock. "You cannot tell me if we adopt mandatory cap-and-trade it's going to help your stock prices," said Barton.
Among the executives were the chairmen of ConocoPhillips, General Electric, DuPont and electric utilities Exelon, NRG Energy Inc. and Duke Energy. Environmental groups included Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nature Conservancy and World Resources Institute.
WASHINGTON -- He was in the Senate for 36 years and visited the White House under seven presidents. But Joseph R. Biden Jr. aka Mr Modesty
has never seen the inside of the vice president's office in the West Wing. "I never thought a lot about the vice presidency," he said, "until I was asked to go on the ticket."...
"I know as much or more than Cheney," Mr. Biden said. "I'm the most experienced vice president since anybody."
#10
HAHAHAHA!!!! Oh god! This is gonna be a great four years! We thought Al gore baby was bad, bring popcorn, you aint seen nothin yet!!! Mr hair implant is gonna say and perform some world class acts of stupidity for us. I see Obama holding his head wondering why he picked Joe Biden over Joe the plumber for VP.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/15/2009 22:31 Comments ||
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#11
Do we need a "Bidenwatch" category? Or is Page 6 sufficient?
I think Page 6 will suffice, Fred. Vice President Biden will provide the levity to balance all the educational things said and done during the Obama presidency.
#12
my only concern is that Jo may make all other pols, dirty, stupid, or otherwise, pale in comparison. He's a walking gaffe-matic with ultra-unrealistic self-esteem and no self control or sense of propriety. If he doesn't start a nuclear war before he leaves office, I'm out a $20 bet
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/15/2009 22:58 Comments ||
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#13
I wouldn't let JOE LIEBERMAN hear that. Bidey.
Lawyers for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have received a summons for his impeachment trial from the state Senate. Blagojevich spokeswoman Kelley Quinn says the governor's legal team accepted the summons from the Illinois Senate's sergeant-at-arms Wednesday.
The senators were sworn in as jurors earlier by the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. They also heard the official impeachment charges from the House.
The Senate also approved rules for the trial, which is to begin Jan. 26. The rules govern issues such as issuing subpoenas. They also allow a majority of senators to override rulings by the judge.
The House impeached Blagojevich last week. Now the Senate will decide whether to convict and oust him.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/15/2009 00:00 ||
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The former Republican congressman chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to direct billions in federal highway spending has been an unapologetic advocate of earmarks, a practice Obama now opposes, and has used his influence to win funding for projects pushed by some of his largest campaign contributors.
Ray LaHood, who represented Illinois in the House for seven terms, sponsored $60 million in earmarks last year, steering at least $9 million in federal money to campaign donors, a Washington Post analysis shows. An opponent of earmark reform efforts in Congress, LaHood ranks roughly among the top 10 percent in the House for sponsoring earmarks in 2008, according to a watchdog group.
LaHood's record poses an important question as hearings begin today that will explore how he would administer part of a $775 billion stimulus package that will be directed to the Transportation Department. LaHood has defended his use of earmarks as a way to direct federal money to decaying communities in his district and insisted there is no connection between his earmarks and projects benefiting campaign donors.
Obama has pledged to resist pressure from local interests and to block unjustified earmarks from inclusion in the stimulus bill. "We're not having earmarks in the recovery package, period," he said Jan. 7.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/15/2009 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of a key House committee said Thursday he will move "quickly and decisively" to push legislation curbing greenhouse gases with a goal of passing climate legislation out of his committee before Memorial Day.
Lawyers for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have received a summons for his impeachment trial from the state Senate. Blagojevich spokeswoman Kelley Quinn says the governor's legal team accepted the summons from the Illinois Senate's sergeant-at-arms Wednesday.
