After this weekend’s Independence Day celebrations, the U.S. Congress returns to work. In the Senate, the Environment and Public Works Committee will launch its push toward climate legislation with a hearing Tuesday, July 7, featuring three top Obama administration officials among others. The Senate hearing follows the House’s narrow passage of a sweeping climate and energy bill last week, which included big giveaways for agriculture, including corn ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. The 219-212 House vote shifts the battle to the Senate, where assembling the 60-vote coalition needed to pass a climate bill is expected to be as tough as securing House passage, if not harder.
The Committee’s Chair, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), has said she would like to mark up a cap-and-trade bill before the end the month. The Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has said he plans to bring a package of climate and energy measures to the Senate floor this fall. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved a broad energy bill last month, while Reid has given other committees with jurisdiction expected to weigh in — Agriculture, Commerce, Finance and Foreign Relations — until September 18 to produce their additions to the package.
Meanwhile, Senator John Kerry (D-MA), has told Bloomberg that the U.S. Senate may pass legislation to slow climate change and then fail to approve a global treaty that commits nations to do so. The article reminded readers that Senate ratification of a treaty requires 67 votes, compared with usual 60 for legislation. Perhaps because of this, the White House is stepping up its campaign to sell the global warming initiative in farm country, as part of a “rural tour” that kicks off this week.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Biofuels, Boxer, Climate Change, Ethanol, GHG, Inhofe, Kerry, Reid, Renewable Fuel Standard, Senate, Waxman-Markey
[...] — to dramatically slash greenhouse gas emissions. But Boxer insists the delay will not stop the Senate from finishing the bill this year. “We’ll be in until Christmas,” she [...]