The future of climate policy

Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), the Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (whose name has recently been floated as the Obama administration’s possible Secretary of Energy), discussed the challenges facing Congress over U.S. climate policy and the role the next administration will need to play.

Speaking at a Point Carbon and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change discussion on the future of climate policy, Bingman said that Congress does not need more subcommittees to improve energy and climate policy, but that those already in existence should should find a way to collaborate more efficiently.

Bingaman also discussed the steps the administration will need to take, explaining that there will be a need to balance the direction that Congress decides upon with international policy goals.

The senator touched upon the problem posed to cap-and-trade policies by carbon offsets, namely that it is hard to determine whether the offsets bought are actually effective.

“I’m not sure how we legislate a solution to that. I’m just citing that as a factor we need to keep in mind,” said Bingaman.

House Republicans demand vote from Pelosi at RNC

House Republicans held a press conference today calling for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to allow a vote on comprehensive energy reform. Speakers said the Republican strategy would solve America's energy crisis by developing renewable and alternative fuels, using clean coal and nuclear energy, and increasing the levels of American-produced oil and gas.

Rep. Thad McCotter (R-Mich.) attacked the "do-nothing, don't-care" Congress via phone, saying Pelosi has allowed Congress to stay on vacation while the energy crisis remains unsolved.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) outlined the Republican standpoint on energy, saying that "energy security is in effect national security." Boehner also said that revenues gained by the US government from increased oil exploration would be used to fund renewable sources of energy. He concluded his statement, asking Pelosi to "give [Congress] a chance to show the American people we can produce what they want."

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said that by 2030, America's energy needs will have increased by 30 to 40 percent. He adds that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has discussed the need to increase the US' nuclear energy supplies by 50% by that time, which the Arizona Senator believes would create 750,000 new jobs. "We cannot stay at home with [this] job undone," Upton said.

Oil companies have McCain 'over the barrel'

“The reality is that Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) can visit oil rigs and do photo ops all he wants, but it is pretty clear from the policies he is advocating that he is literally over the barrel when it comes to the oil industry,” said former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. He spoke on a conference call to discuss Senator McCain’s opposition to a bipartisan energy compromise due to its rollback of tax breaks for oil companies.

Vilsack also said that McCain’s opposition to the compromise shows that he has chosen the side of oil companies over the American people, and that he is only open to policies that will help these organizations. Conversely, Vilsack says that Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) plan would roll back these tax breaks and give this money to the middle class in order to assist them with sky-high energy costs.

Vilsack said that by instituting policies that push renewable energy, he was able to create more jobs and stimulate the economy for the state of Iowa, as well as make more money available to schools and other programs. He also challenged McCain’s image as a ‘maverick’ who fights corrupt businesses and said, “I think it’s time for McCain to be accountable for the decisions he is making.”

Peña: Drilling won't reduce energy prices until 2030

“Senator McCain (R-Ariz.) is not going to help solve this energy crisis, because frankly he helped create it”, said Federico Peña, who served as both the Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Energy under President Clinton. Peña spoke on a conference call to discuss McCain’s energy strategy, calling it “more of the same”.

Peña went on to say, “[McCain] blamed our dependence on foreign oil on the inaction of politicians in Washington, but he’s been there for the past 26 years and he did very little.” He also said that McCain has talked endlessly about drilling in the protected parts of our country like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), despite reports from the Bush administration’s energy department that have shown drilling there would only reduce oil costs to Americans by a few cents. In addition, Peña said the energy department estimated that the small decrease in price would not come about at all until the year 2030.

Peña also attacked McCain’s plan for energy independence by saying that any reduction in price caused by increased production from the United States would be met with OPEC nations reducing their levels of production of oil to keep prices high. As such, he advocates investing in renewable sources of energy that are not subject to price fluctuations determined by foreign governments.

Congress passes bill for 'National Plumbing Industry Week', but no energy reform

"Hearing [Nancy Pelosi's] name and 'president' in the same sentence makes me sick!" exclaimed Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) today on the floor of the House of Representatives. He and his fellow Republicans continued their speeches protesting Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) decision to call the Congress into recess.

"This is an ineffective Congress, I'm embarrassed to say", said Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.). He went on to describe legislation passed so far in the 110th Congress, including a bill creating "National Passport Month" and another designating "National Plumbing Industry Week". However, it is common for every session of Congress to pass these pieces of symbolic legislation. He said he advocated a diversified energy solution that utilizes both renewable sources of energy and allowing expanded oil drilling in coastal regions and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In a recent interview with CNN, Speaker Pelosi said that she would be open to holding a vote on energy reform that would expand drilling.

Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) said that during Hurricane Katrina, no oil spills occurred. He went on to say that this is a testament to the safety of these oil rigs for the environment. Pitts also said that if more oil refineries were built within the US, which hasn't happened in over 30 years, hundreds of thousands of new jobs could be created.

Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) said that since the construction of the Alaska Pipeline, the state's caribou population has tripled despite environmental reports warning of harm to the animals. He credits the pipeline with keeping the caribou warm during extremely cold weather, thus contributing to the resurgence of the population.