Waxman-Markey legislation

May 22, 2009 by Kristin Schrader Marcell · Leave a comment
Filed under: Natural Gas

Yesterday the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade climate change bill, H.R. 2454, “the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009″, by a vote of 33-25.

AGA noted the important step the House Energy and Commerce Committee took last night in reporting this climate change legislation and is looking forward to working with Congress as it considers this issue throughout the summer.

It is important to AGA that Congress pass legislation that will strive to improve our environment and energy security, while also encouraging the increased use of clean, abundant, domestic natural gas. As the cleanest fossil fuel, emitting only one carbon atom when burned, natural gas can play a major part in quickly reducing carbon emissions.

Since the House Energy and Commerce Committee action was covered extensively in the media, there are quite a few stories in the news today. Here are a few articles that I came across this morning:

The Washington Post reported the committee markup this week as, “a week of late-night debates that cemented the shift of climate change from rhetorical jousting to a subject of serious, if messy, Washington policymaking. ”

Here’s a story where the New York Times discusses the supporters and opponents of the cap-and-trade legislation. While some eagerly supported the bill, others were concerned that it was a burdensome tax on business that would drive companies and jobs overseas while doing little to address climate change.

The Wall Street Journal says that the Waxman-Markey legislation, “still faces significant hurdles, particularly in the Senate, where a similar proposal failed last year. But the committee’s action gives the measure a major boost in both chambers of Congress, because the panel is among the largest and most ideologically and geographically diverse in Congress, with members from Rust Belt, oil patch, farm and coastal states.”

After the Memorial Day congressional recess, several other House and Senate committees will address various aspects of the bill so the debate on this issue will likely continue throughout this summer.

What do you think about the Waxman-Markey legislation?

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