By Debra DeHaney-Howard
December 17, 2007

After more than nine hours of deliberations, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee voted 11 – 8 on December 5 to approve comprehensive climate change legislation, which aims to cap greenhouse gas emission from power plants, manufacturers, petroleum refiners and other sectors of the economy and also allow these companies to trade pollution allowances in order to meet the mandatory cap.

The legislation, “America’s Climate Security Act” (S. 2191), which was cosponsored by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (CT) and Senator John W. Warner (VA), calls for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 70 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. Specifically, the bill would reduce emissions by 18 to 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and by 62 to 66 percent by 2050. It also sets up a market-based emissions trading program to help companies meet the cap.

At the direction of Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) who chairs the Committee, members of the Committee disposed of more than thirty-five amendments by modifying some provisions of the bill, defeating others and deferring some for further consideration when the legislation is brought before the full Senate.

Of the amendments offered the Democrats, several amendments were accepted by voice vote, including amendments offered by Senator Thomas Carper (DE) that calls for states to use some of the allowances from the cap and trade system to promote recycling programs and from Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ) that gives more emission allowances to states with electric utilities that reward consumers who use less energy.

Republicans offered a number of amendments covering a wide-range of issues, including amendments on increasing nuclear power production, opening the outer continental shelf to energy exploration, increasing the pollution allowances if the legislation leads to more than 10,000 manufacturing job losses in a one-year, and requiring China and India to adopt greenhouse gas emission reduction legislation in their own countries within the decade. These amendments were defeated along party line.

Warner was the only Republican on the Committee to join with the nine Democrats and one Independent in voting to report the bill out of Committee. The Committee’s action to move the bill forward helps advance the bill through legislative process. Senate Majority leader Harry M. Reid (NV) has indicated that S. 2191 could be brought to the Senate floor for debate early next year.

During its Annual Meeting in Los Angeles in June, the U. S. Conference of Mayors adopted policy that calls for 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. The policy also calls for any national policy that covers multiple sectors of the economy and that is a market-based system that helps to drive innovation and economic development in communities.