Editor's note: State Rep. Mary Ann Sullivan (D-Indianapolis) responded to State Sen. Brandt Hershman's Letter to the Editor urging that Hoosiers contact Sens. Lugar and Bayh to oppose climate change or cap and trade legislation pending before the U.S. Congress. We urge everyone to educate themselves on this important issue and communicate your views to Sens. Lugar and Bayh.
For our health, jobs, we must pass climate legislation
Indianapolis Star, October 22, 2009
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910220378
While I agree with my colleague, state Sen. Brandt Hershman, that hearing from constituents is important (Letters, Oct. 4), I take issue with his comments regarding how U.S. Sens. Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh should vote on economy-boosting climate legislation.
The Senate clearly has an opportunity not just to cut carbon emissions that endanger our health and the health of our children and grandchildren, but also to grow jobs in Indiana.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the cost of implementing the elements of a federal climate bill would add up to the equivalent of a postage stamp a day per family, with low-income families realizing a $40 benefit by 2020. By 2030, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimates an average saving of nearly $4,000 per U.S. household through the energy efficiency provisions alone.
Legislation that creates jobs, saves consumers money and reduces our dependence on foreign oil makes sense for Indiana and the country. I join millions of my fellow Americans in encouraging Lugar and Bayh to vote for this crucial bill, and help put Hoosiers back to work.
State Rep. Mary Ann Sullivan
House District 97
Indianapolis
--------------------------------------
Cap-and-trade disadvantages outweigh any potential good
Indianapolis Star, October 4, 2009
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910040328
As an elected official, I know the power of contact by constituents. Therefore, I encourage you to join me in writing, calling or e-mailing U.S. Sens. Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh and urging them to vote against the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade legislation now pending in the U.S. Senate.
This is dangerous legislation that will harm the U.S. economy far more than it will help the world's ecological condition.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, some estimates show the cost of living for a typical Hoosier household could rise by as much as $1,600 per year if this proposal becomes law. Others say this is a conservative inflationary figure and Indiana residents might pay substantially more.
One study conducted by the National Manufacturers Association revealed this legislation could cost Indiana nearly 60,000 jobs over the next two decades. Other estimates assert as many as 3 million American jobs could be lost by 2030.
And for what noble purpose? Ecologically, some say the impact will be minimal, at best, if the U.S. is the only participant. Two of our biggest global economic partners, China and India, have no plans to enact cap-and-trade legislation of their own. Their factories will keep on humming, putting pollutants in the air, money in their own bank accounts and, likely, more Americans out of work.
Cap-and-trade could be called a job killer and a massive new tax on energy. Congress should wait until there is an international agreement on carbon dioxide emissions that includes other industrial powers like India and China before committing to painful and perhaps futile reductions at home.
Brandt Hershman
Indiana State Senator, Senate District 7
For more information visit http://www.indianarenew.org.
Showing posts with label Sen. Evan Bayh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sen. Evan Bayh. Show all posts
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
CLIMATE: On road to 60, Senate swells with fence sitters
NOTE: Both U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana) are listed as "fence sitters" on the proposed comprehensive climate and energy legislation. See paragraphs below in red.
E&E Daily - 10/20/09
by Darren Samuelsohn, E&E senior reporter
The fence is getting a bit more crowded.
Despite two significant moves over the last month -- a bill introduction and the emergence of a possible bipartisan partnership -- the number of senators unwilling to commit to voting for comprehensive climate and energy legislation continues to grow.
According to E&E's latest analysis, 24 senators now belong in the "fence sitter" category that leaves them up for grabs headed into the winter push for 60 votes that sponsors will need to overcome an expected Republican filibuster.
Here's the good news for climate advocates: E&E now finds that at least 67 senators are in play on the issue, enough not only to pass the climate bill but also to ratify an international treaty should sponsors actually run the boards and not lose a single member.
For starters, the bill's lead sponsors, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), can safely rely on 31 "yes" votes as they work on building their coalition. That list includes Ben Cardin of Maryland, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Tom Udall of New Mexico. All appeared at a Capitol Hill campaign-style rally last month during the public unveiling of the legislation, S. 1733.
Another 12 senators fall into the "probably yes" camp, from Michael Bennet of Colorado to Al Franken of Minnesota and Mark Warner of Virginia. Bennet and Warner are not slam dunks given the fossil fuel interests in their home states, while Franken dropped off the "yes" list when he signed a letter with nine other Democrats in August that raised concerns about President Obama's stance against trade sanctions on carbon-intensive goods from developing countries that do not have strong enough climate policies (E&ENews PM, Aug. 6).
As for the fence sitters, the list continues to swell from both directions as key senators hedge their bets.
For example, Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) no longer reside in the "probably yes" camp given their recent statements on allocations and oversight of the carbon markets, respectively. Baucus may drive the hardest bargain as chairman of the Finance Committee, where he is sure to negotiate on behalf of coal-state Democrats who think the House-passed bill unfairly favors electric utilities that service the East and West coasts.
Two senators have recently been upgraded to the fence from the "probably no" camp are Sens. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio). Byrd has long questioned action to curb emissions but has taken a lead role on carbon sequestration language that Kerry and Boxer are trying to wrap into their proposal. Voinovich has a reputation for bipartisan consensus building, and recent signals supporting the nuclear power industry are raising hopes in some sectors that the retiring senator should still be considered in play.
"If you engage in a very proactive way to get a bill done, he will negotiate and compromise," said a former Senate Republican aide.
E&E's analysis is based on interviews with senators, plus dozens of Democratic and Republican sources, industry and environmental groups.
Counting Republicans
GOP interest is significant for the climate bill's overall prospects given that Democrats are unlikely to carry all 60 of their own votes on the floor.
In all, E&E now lists eight Republicans as "fence sitters" on the climate bill, with the two from Maine -- Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe -- holding firm as "probably yes" votes given their past efforts on the issue. Collins and Snowe are likely to compensate for the loss of Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Ben Nelson of Nebraska, the only Democrats listed among 11 "probably no" votes given their many comments questioning the environmental agenda of the Obama administration and Senate leaders.
Elsewhere, sponsors got their biggest boost when Kerry went public with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on a partnership that they had been quietly working on since the summer. The senators pledged in an Oct. 11 New York Times op-ed that they would try to find compromise on several key areas, including nuclear power, offshore drilling and a border tax on items produced in countries that avoid high environmental standards.
"I can see a way to get to 60 votes, and so can he, if we pull the right folks to the table and do this in the right way," Kerry said last week. "And that's what we're going to do."
Climate advocates are urging Kerry and Graham to turn their broad principles into legislation.
"It's still right now just a possibility," said Manik Roy of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "We need to operationalize that."
Graham's support also may be key for other Republicans.
Jason Grumet, a former Obama presidential campaign adviser and the president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, counts as many as 10 Republicans who have been engaged in past climate debates "who are certainly poised to come back if the Graham beachhead becomes more secured."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) stands out as one leading GOP candidate to get behind a climate bill. The two-term senator co-sponsored climate legislation last year with Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) in part because of provisions designed to protect against high energy prices, as well as financial aid to Alaska for adaptation to rising seas and melting permafrost.
So far this year, Murkowski has questioned Democrats' desires to push for a vote on the climate bill before a major U.N. climate conference this December in Copenhagen. At the same time, she said Sunday on C-SPAN that Graham's emergence opens the door further to a number of supply-side provisions she supports, including efforts to expand nuclear power, natural gas and oil production.
"Count me as one of those who will keep my mind open as we move forward in looking at all aspects of this," Murkowski said.
Other fence-sitting Republicans include Sen. Richard Lugar, the six-term senator who has tamped down his optimism this year in part because of unemployment in Indiana that continues to hover near double digits. Lugar said last month in an interview he remains engaged but does not like the approach taken earlier this year with H.R. 2454, the House-passed climate bill.
"I don't know that we've pulled back," Lugar said. "It's just the formulation from the House I find objectionable on many grounds. Without jumping up and down any further, I think more constructive ways of fighting climate change can be found and I'll be working to find it."
Senate Budget Committee ranking member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) also remains in play, with nuclear power and fiscal issues atop his list of demands. Asked last week about how the Kerry-Graham partnership could influence his vote, Gregg replied, "If nuclear comes under that and has proper incentives, that could be a major step forward."
The party's 2008 presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), poses a big challenge for climate bill advocates (E&E Daily, July 16). While McCain appears to be making headway in his demand for greater incentives for nuclear power, he is in direct conflict with manufacturing state Democrats and Graham, one of his close allies in last year's White House campaign, over the border tax issue.
"I know that I'd never agree to tariffs on the borders for countries that don't comply with our requirements," McCain said last week.
Other big questions revolve around Florida's new GOP senator, George LeMieux. Gov. Charlie Crist (R) appointed LeMieux, his former chief of staff, to be a caretaker to the Senate seat he hopes to win in the 2010 elections.
But Crist must succeed in a Republican primary slated for next August that so far has forced him to distance himself from past progressive views on the climate issue. Already, Crist's opponent, Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, has garnered the endorsement of Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), an outspoken opponent of global warming legislation. LeMieux's vote will be seen as a critical test for Crist among the state's Republican base (Greenwire, Aug. 17).
Fence-sitting Democrats
The fence also includes moderate Democrats from all corners of the country, some more actively engaged in the climate debate than others.
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, for example, is crafting language to help manufacturers (E&E Daily, Oct. 14). Michigan's Debbie Stabenow hopes to release long-awaited agriculture ideas. And Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania will be forced to take a stand as early as next month when Boxer's Environment and Public Works Committee holds a markup on its bill.
Other influential Democratic fence sitters include Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, who said last week that he expects to push at least four issues once the bill nears the floor.
Levin said he will be seeking a national greenhouse gas emission standard and repeal of state-specific standards. Like Franken, he said a border tax adjustment needs to be part of the bill. And Levin said he wants a "fail-safe provision in case the technologies don't advance as quickly as some people think they will."
"And you've got to fairly proportion the burden," Levin added.
Agriculture Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) also remains on the fence. The two-term senator said last week that she wants to get a better grip on the effect that a climate bill would have on farmers and in the cost of food to consumers.
"I don't disagree with the objective, and I hope we'll stay focused on the objective, which is to lower our greenhouse gases and emissions and our carbon output," Lincoln said.
Lincoln in past years has cosponsored efforts to address the cost fluctuations in climate legislation. Environmental groups are banking on her and Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) as key votes that get them to across the 60-vote threshold.
But an industry source tracking the climate debate doubts that Lincoln can sign off on climate legislation as she heads into a heated re-election battle next November. "No amount of National Wildlife Federation polling is going to help her in the delta," the source said. "She has an issue."
Election-year politics also may influence several other Democrats. Specter faces a primary challenge from his left in Rep. Joe Sestak, a campaign that has put an even larger spotlight on his vote (E&E Daily, Oct. 6).
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) faces the same unemployment concerns as Lugar but with the added pressure of a 2010 re-election campaign. So far, Bayh has not drawn a significant challenger and political analyst Charlie Cook ranked the race earlier this month as "solid D" for the incumbent. But political observers still see Bayh as vulnerable to home-state concerns.
Other Democrats on the fence include a number of senators representing either coal-consuming or coal-producing states, including Claire McCaskill of Missouri, North Dakota Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Jim Webb of Virginia. Conrad and Dorgan may be among the most difficult fence sitters to win over. Both have insisted for months that Senate leaders should start with energy-only legislation and save the big climate change measure for later.
Debating floor strategy
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has so far left open the door on a possible floor debate before the end of the year on the climate bill, but time is running short for the five committees still charged with filling in key details (E&E Daily, Oct. 16).
Committee leaders do not have any deadlines, leaving many to speculate the bill will most likely wait until early 2010 to see any floor action despite Boxer's plans for markup in November. Boxer has said she is waiting for U.S. EPA analysis of her legislation, something agency spokeswoman Betsaida Alcantara said should be finished by Friday.
Environmentalists have not stopped pushing for action. While several green groups have warned of the international consequences if the Senate rejected climate legislation before the Copenhagen negotiations, advocates still want to see a floor vote that forces senators to take a stand one way or another.
"People have to understand this vote is going to happen sooner rather than later," said David Goldston, director of government operations at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Inhofe, the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, predicts that Democrats will max out around 35 "yes" votes.
"They're going to try to fence off people," said Inhofe, one of 22 Republican senators E&E lists as a sure "no" on the climate bill. "We understand that. And they'll be counting votes as they do it. But I think it's a moving target."
For any group that signs up for the bill, Inhofe said he thinks they are just as likely to back out. "For example," Inhofe said, "when they tried to fence off the wheat growers, they bought into it for a short period of time, and then they said, 'Wait a minute, this is going to be just as hard on us and somebody else.'"
Dan Weiss, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, has a much bigger target in mind as Democratic leaders gear up for the floor. He said Reid and company should try to have a big enough cushion that they do not need to give in to every demand of every fence-sitting senator.
"Senate leaders obviously want to have more than 60 votes in play," Weiss said.
Bit by bit, advocates for the climate bill expect a winning combination to come together. Asked for the recipe, Goldston said he does not think one compromise will do it. Instead, he said he is watching for coalitions to form on individual issues, with several degrees of overlap.
"There's not one simple way where you get person X and you automatically get everyone else," Goldston said. "The work still has to be done member by member."
Climate bill supporters also say that the senators just need to be reminded that they've been debating many of these unresolved issues -- on everything from cost containment to emission allocations, greenhouse gas targets, offsets, technological availability and international competition -- dating back to the George W. Bush administration.
"The good news is the path to 60 is not particularly mysterious," Grumet said. "The issues have been quite well defined for the last year or so."
And that means that some of the key compromises already reached in the House may just need to be renegotiated, with some state-specific tweaks here and there.
"Everything's been said," Weiss added. "But not everybody's said it."
http://www.eenews.net/EEDaily/2009/10/20/1/
E&E Daily - 10/20/09
by Darren Samuelsohn, E&E senior reporter
The fence is getting a bit more crowded.
Despite two significant moves over the last month -- a bill introduction and the emergence of a possible bipartisan partnership -- the number of senators unwilling to commit to voting for comprehensive climate and energy legislation continues to grow.
According to E&E's latest analysis, 24 senators now belong in the "fence sitter" category that leaves them up for grabs headed into the winter push for 60 votes that sponsors will need to overcome an expected Republican filibuster.
Here's the good news for climate advocates: E&E now finds that at least 67 senators are in play on the issue, enough not only to pass the climate bill but also to ratify an international treaty should sponsors actually run the boards and not lose a single member.
For starters, the bill's lead sponsors, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), can safely rely on 31 "yes" votes as they work on building their coalition. That list includes Ben Cardin of Maryland, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Tom Udall of New Mexico. All appeared at a Capitol Hill campaign-style rally last month during the public unveiling of the legislation, S. 1733.
Another 12 senators fall into the "probably yes" camp, from Michael Bennet of Colorado to Al Franken of Minnesota and Mark Warner of Virginia. Bennet and Warner are not slam dunks given the fossil fuel interests in their home states, while Franken dropped off the "yes" list when he signed a letter with nine other Democrats in August that raised concerns about President Obama's stance against trade sanctions on carbon-intensive goods from developing countries that do not have strong enough climate policies (E&ENews PM, Aug. 6).
As for the fence sitters, the list continues to swell from both directions as key senators hedge their bets.
For example, Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) no longer reside in the "probably yes" camp given their recent statements on allocations and oversight of the carbon markets, respectively. Baucus may drive the hardest bargain as chairman of the Finance Committee, where he is sure to negotiate on behalf of coal-state Democrats who think the House-passed bill unfairly favors electric utilities that service the East and West coasts.
Two senators have recently been upgraded to the fence from the "probably no" camp are Sens. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio). Byrd has long questioned action to curb emissions but has taken a lead role on carbon sequestration language that Kerry and Boxer are trying to wrap into their proposal. Voinovich has a reputation for bipartisan consensus building, and recent signals supporting the nuclear power industry are raising hopes in some sectors that the retiring senator should still be considered in play.
"If you engage in a very proactive way to get a bill done, he will negotiate and compromise," said a former Senate Republican aide.
E&E's analysis is based on interviews with senators, plus dozens of Democratic and Republican sources, industry and environmental groups.
Counting Republicans
GOP interest is significant for the climate bill's overall prospects given that Democrats are unlikely to carry all 60 of their own votes on the floor.
In all, E&E now lists eight Republicans as "fence sitters" on the climate bill, with the two from Maine -- Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe -- holding firm as "probably yes" votes given their past efforts on the issue. Collins and Snowe are likely to compensate for the loss of Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Ben Nelson of Nebraska, the only Democrats listed among 11 "probably no" votes given their many comments questioning the environmental agenda of the Obama administration and Senate leaders.
Elsewhere, sponsors got their biggest boost when Kerry went public with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on a partnership that they had been quietly working on since the summer. The senators pledged in an Oct. 11 New York Times op-ed that they would try to find compromise on several key areas, including nuclear power, offshore drilling and a border tax on items produced in countries that avoid high environmental standards.
"I can see a way to get to 60 votes, and so can he, if we pull the right folks to the table and do this in the right way," Kerry said last week. "And that's what we're going to do."
Climate advocates are urging Kerry and Graham to turn their broad principles into legislation.
"It's still right now just a possibility," said Manik Roy of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "We need to operationalize that."
Graham's support also may be key for other Republicans.
Jason Grumet, a former Obama presidential campaign adviser and the president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, counts as many as 10 Republicans who have been engaged in past climate debates "who are certainly poised to come back if the Graham beachhead becomes more secured."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) stands out as one leading GOP candidate to get behind a climate bill. The two-term senator co-sponsored climate legislation last year with Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) in part because of provisions designed to protect against high energy prices, as well as financial aid to Alaska for adaptation to rising seas and melting permafrost.
So far this year, Murkowski has questioned Democrats' desires to push for a vote on the climate bill before a major U.N. climate conference this December in Copenhagen. At the same time, she said Sunday on C-SPAN that Graham's emergence opens the door further to a number of supply-side provisions she supports, including efforts to expand nuclear power, natural gas and oil production.
"Count me as one of those who will keep my mind open as we move forward in looking at all aspects of this," Murkowski said.
Other fence-sitting Republicans include Sen. Richard Lugar, the six-term senator who has tamped down his optimism this year in part because of unemployment in Indiana that continues to hover near double digits. Lugar said last month in an interview he remains engaged but does not like the approach taken earlier this year with H.R. 2454, the House-passed climate bill.
"I don't know that we've pulled back," Lugar said. "It's just the formulation from the House I find objectionable on many grounds. Without jumping up and down any further, I think more constructive ways of fighting climate change can be found and I'll be working to find it."
Senate Budget Committee ranking member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) also remains in play, with nuclear power and fiscal issues atop his list of demands. Asked last week about how the Kerry-Graham partnership could influence his vote, Gregg replied, "If nuclear comes under that and has proper incentives, that could be a major step forward."
The party's 2008 presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), poses a big challenge for climate bill advocates (E&E Daily, July 16). While McCain appears to be making headway in his demand for greater incentives for nuclear power, he is in direct conflict with manufacturing state Democrats and Graham, one of his close allies in last year's White House campaign, over the border tax issue.
"I know that I'd never agree to tariffs on the borders for countries that don't comply with our requirements," McCain said last week.
Other big questions revolve around Florida's new GOP senator, George LeMieux. Gov. Charlie Crist (R) appointed LeMieux, his former chief of staff, to be a caretaker to the Senate seat he hopes to win in the 2010 elections.
But Crist must succeed in a Republican primary slated for next August that so far has forced him to distance himself from past progressive views on the climate issue. Already, Crist's opponent, Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, has garnered the endorsement of Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), an outspoken opponent of global warming legislation. LeMieux's vote will be seen as a critical test for Crist among the state's Republican base (Greenwire, Aug. 17).
Fence-sitting Democrats
The fence also includes moderate Democrats from all corners of the country, some more actively engaged in the climate debate than others.
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, for example, is crafting language to help manufacturers (E&E Daily, Oct. 14). Michigan's Debbie Stabenow hopes to release long-awaited agriculture ideas. And Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania will be forced to take a stand as early as next month when Boxer's Environment and Public Works Committee holds a markup on its bill.
Other influential Democratic fence sitters include Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, who said last week that he expects to push at least four issues once the bill nears the floor.
Levin said he will be seeking a national greenhouse gas emission standard and repeal of state-specific standards. Like Franken, he said a border tax adjustment needs to be part of the bill. And Levin said he wants a "fail-safe provision in case the technologies don't advance as quickly as some people think they will."
"And you've got to fairly proportion the burden," Levin added.
Agriculture Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) also remains on the fence. The two-term senator said last week that she wants to get a better grip on the effect that a climate bill would have on farmers and in the cost of food to consumers.
"I don't disagree with the objective, and I hope we'll stay focused on the objective, which is to lower our greenhouse gases and emissions and our carbon output," Lincoln said.
Lincoln in past years has cosponsored efforts to address the cost fluctuations in climate legislation. Environmental groups are banking on her and Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) as key votes that get them to across the 60-vote threshold.
But an industry source tracking the climate debate doubts that Lincoln can sign off on climate legislation as she heads into a heated re-election battle next November. "No amount of National Wildlife Federation polling is going to help her in the delta," the source said. "She has an issue."
Election-year politics also may influence several other Democrats. Specter faces a primary challenge from his left in Rep. Joe Sestak, a campaign that has put an even larger spotlight on his vote (E&E Daily, Oct. 6).
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) faces the same unemployment concerns as Lugar but with the added pressure of a 2010 re-election campaign. So far, Bayh has not drawn a significant challenger and political analyst Charlie Cook ranked the race earlier this month as "solid D" for the incumbent. But political observers still see Bayh as vulnerable to home-state concerns.
Other Democrats on the fence include a number of senators representing either coal-consuming or coal-producing states, including Claire McCaskill of Missouri, North Dakota Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Jim Webb of Virginia. Conrad and Dorgan may be among the most difficult fence sitters to win over. Both have insisted for months that Senate leaders should start with energy-only legislation and save the big climate change measure for later.
Debating floor strategy
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has so far left open the door on a possible floor debate before the end of the year on the climate bill, but time is running short for the five committees still charged with filling in key details (E&E Daily, Oct. 16).
Committee leaders do not have any deadlines, leaving many to speculate the bill will most likely wait until early 2010 to see any floor action despite Boxer's plans for markup in November. Boxer has said she is waiting for U.S. EPA analysis of her legislation, something agency spokeswoman Betsaida Alcantara said should be finished by Friday.
Environmentalists have not stopped pushing for action. While several green groups have warned of the international consequences if the Senate rejected climate legislation before the Copenhagen negotiations, advocates still want to see a floor vote that forces senators to take a stand one way or another.
"People have to understand this vote is going to happen sooner rather than later," said David Goldston, director of government operations at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Inhofe, the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, predicts that Democrats will max out around 35 "yes" votes.
"They're going to try to fence off people," said Inhofe, one of 22 Republican senators E&E lists as a sure "no" on the climate bill. "We understand that. And they'll be counting votes as they do it. But I think it's a moving target."
For any group that signs up for the bill, Inhofe said he thinks they are just as likely to back out. "For example," Inhofe said, "when they tried to fence off the wheat growers, they bought into it for a short period of time, and then they said, 'Wait a minute, this is going to be just as hard on us and somebody else.'"
Dan Weiss, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, has a much bigger target in mind as Democratic leaders gear up for the floor. He said Reid and company should try to have a big enough cushion that they do not need to give in to every demand of every fence-sitting senator.
"Senate leaders obviously want to have more than 60 votes in play," Weiss said.
Bit by bit, advocates for the climate bill expect a winning combination to come together. Asked for the recipe, Goldston said he does not think one compromise will do it. Instead, he said he is watching for coalitions to form on individual issues, with several degrees of overlap.
"There's not one simple way where you get person X and you automatically get everyone else," Goldston said. "The work still has to be done member by member."
Climate bill supporters also say that the senators just need to be reminded that they've been debating many of these unresolved issues -- on everything from cost containment to emission allocations, greenhouse gas targets, offsets, technological availability and international competition -- dating back to the George W. Bush administration.
"The good news is the path to 60 is not particularly mysterious," Grumet said. "The issues have been quite well defined for the last year or so."
And that means that some of the key compromises already reached in the House may just need to be renegotiated, with some state-specific tweaks here and there.
"Everything's been said," Weiss added. "But not everybody's said it."
http://www.eenews.net/EEDaily/2009/10/20/1/
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Sen. Bayh Signs Letter to President Obama Opposing Climate Change Bill Without Protection for Manufacturing
The following article was published on August 7, 2009, in the New York Times. According to the Indianapolis Star Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) has said he opposes the climate change bill the House passed in June. Both Sen. Bayh and Sen. Lugar are expected to be in Indiana during the August recess. The Senate is expected to resume work on the Senate version of an energy bill following the August recess.
Climate Bill Is Threatened by Senators
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/us/politics/07climate.html
By JOHN M. BRODER
WASHINGTON — Ten moderate Senate Democrats from states dependent on coal and manufacturing sent a letter to President Obama on Thursday saying they would not support any climate change bill that did not protect American industries from competition from countries that did not impose similar restraints on climate-altering gases.
The letter warned that strong actions to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases would add to the cost of goods like steel, cement, paper and aluminum. Unless other countries adopt similar emission limits, the senators warned, jobs will migrate overseas and foreign manufacturers will have a decided cost advantage.
“As Congress considers energy and climate legislation,” the senators wrote, “it is important that such a bill include provisions to maintain a level playing field for American manufacturing.”
“It is essential that any clean energy legislation not only address the crisis of climate change, but include strong provisions to ensure the strength and viability of domestic manufacturing,” the letter said.
The 10 senators are seen as crucial undecided votes in the Senate debate on climate legislation. The House narrowly passed a climate bill in late June, but the Senate is moving slowly, in part because it is preoccupied with health care legislation.
The senators represent Midwestern and coal-producing states from which many of the 44 Democrats who voted against the measure in the House come from. Without their support, it is unlikely that the Senate can pass a major climate change bill.
The 10 senators were Evan Bayh of Indiana; Sherrod Brown of Ohio; Robert C. Byrd and John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia; Bob Casey and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania; Russ Feingold of Wisconsin; Al Franken of Minnesota; and Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
They called for transition aid for energy-intensive manufacturers in the form of rebates on their energy costs; negotiation of a strong international agreement on emissions; programs to monitor emissions in other countries; and significant financing for clean energy technology.
The authors also proposed “border adjustments,” tariffs, on goods from countries that do not agree to an international program for carbon dioxide reductions. The House bill gives the president the power to impose such penalties on goods from countries that do not adhere to an international climate change regime.
“Climate change is a reality and the world cannot afford inaction,” the senators wrote. “However, we must not engage in a self-defeating effort that displaces greenhouse gas emissions rather than reducing them and displaces U.S. jobs rather than bolstering them.”
In an interview shortly after the House vote, President Obama said he was concerned about the tariff provision of the House bill, calling it potentially protectionist.
Climate Bill Is Threatened by Senators
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/us/politics/07climate.html
By JOHN M. BRODER
WASHINGTON — Ten moderate Senate Democrats from states dependent on coal and manufacturing sent a letter to President Obama on Thursday saying they would not support any climate change bill that did not protect American industries from competition from countries that did not impose similar restraints on climate-altering gases.
The letter warned that strong actions to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases would add to the cost of goods like steel, cement, paper and aluminum. Unless other countries adopt similar emission limits, the senators warned, jobs will migrate overseas and foreign manufacturers will have a decided cost advantage.
“As Congress considers energy and climate legislation,” the senators wrote, “it is important that such a bill include provisions to maintain a level playing field for American manufacturing.”
“It is essential that any clean energy legislation not only address the crisis of climate change, but include strong provisions to ensure the strength and viability of domestic manufacturing,” the letter said.
The 10 senators are seen as crucial undecided votes in the Senate debate on climate legislation. The House narrowly passed a climate bill in late June, but the Senate is moving slowly, in part because it is preoccupied with health care legislation.
The senators represent Midwestern and coal-producing states from which many of the 44 Democrats who voted against the measure in the House come from. Without their support, it is unlikely that the Senate can pass a major climate change bill.
The 10 senators were Evan Bayh of Indiana; Sherrod Brown of Ohio; Robert C. Byrd and John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia; Bob Casey and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania; Russ Feingold of Wisconsin; Al Franken of Minnesota; and Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
They called for transition aid for energy-intensive manufacturers in the form of rebates on their energy costs; negotiation of a strong international agreement on emissions; programs to monitor emissions in other countries; and significant financing for clean energy technology.
The authors also proposed “border adjustments,” tariffs, on goods from countries that do not agree to an international program for carbon dioxide reductions. The House bill gives the president the power to impose such penalties on goods from countries that do not adhere to an international climate change regime.
“Climate change is a reality and the world cannot afford inaction,” the senators wrote. “However, we must not engage in a self-defeating effort that displaces greenhouse gas emissions rather than reducing them and displaces U.S. jobs rather than bolstering them.”
In an interview shortly after the House vote, President Obama said he was concerned about the tariff provision of the House bill, calling it potentially protectionist.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Senate Committee Markup on Energy Bill defeats Amendments
Senate panel's RES markup previews floor showdown
by Katherine Ling, E&E reporter, Greenwire.com
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee defeated efforts today to make significant changes to a proposed renewable electricity standard (RES) in a sweeping energy bill.
The panel expelled bids to remove caps on energy efficiency that would count toward the standard, exclude all nuclear power from the baseline and raise the standards.
Chairman Jeff Bingaman's RES provision would require utilities to use renewable generation for at least 15 percent of their electricity by 2021 and allow them to substitute energy-efficiency measures for slightly more than a quarter of the target.
The committee did approve several amendments, including two from Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that would exclude electricity from new nuclear reactors and expansions of existing reactors capacity from the baseline of a utility's electricity sales.
Other approved amendments would exclude electricity from coal-fired power plants equipped with carbon capture and sequestration technology from the RES mandate and also make exemptions for qualified hydropower, biogas, waste to energy and the definition of biomass.
The panel also accepted a proposal by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) that would give triple credits for carbon-emission reductions that use algae and an amendment by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to create a low-interest loan program to finance renewable-energy projects.
But other efforts to alter the RES provision failed to crack a 12-vote coalition built by Bingaman.
Several efforts to include all nuclear to the baseline was rejected in 11-12 votes -- which included Brownback voting against and Democrats Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Evan Bayh of Indiana voting for.
Bingaman opposed all those amendments, calling them "the worst of all possible outcomes."
"Including nuclear power as a resource in the RES ... doesn't make it more likely that nuclear power will be built," the New Mexico Democrat said. "The issues of not getting nuclear built relate to financing, prohibitive costs, and to some extent proliferation."
An amendment in the nature of a substitute by Landrieu to lift the cap on the amount of energy efficiency that could count toward a renewable standard also failed in an 11-12 vote. Landrieu said she would also offer such a measure on the floor.
"Somewhere along the line, we started confusing the means to the ends with the ends themselves," Landrieu said. "I offer this amendment in the spirit of compromise. We may not win today in this committee, but this is an issue that will be front and center" on the floor.
Landrieu added she might consider a higher target "if we can get it right" and it would be less disruptive to "underappreciated" industries.
Bayh, meanwhile, offered an amendment that would create tax incentives for renewable energy, which would spread the costs of promoting renewables across all regions. He withdrew the amendment and said he would also offer it on the floor.
Amendments by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to raise the standard to 20 percent by 2021, with a 5 percent efficiency offset, and Sen. Mark Udall's (D-Colo.) bid to boost the standard to 25 percent were passionately discussed but withdrawn. Both lawmakers vowed to resurrect their proposals on the floor.
by Katherine Ling, E&E reporter, Greenwire.com
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee defeated efforts today to make significant changes to a proposed renewable electricity standard (RES) in a sweeping energy bill.
The panel expelled bids to remove caps on energy efficiency that would count toward the standard, exclude all nuclear power from the baseline and raise the standards.
Chairman Jeff Bingaman's RES provision would require utilities to use renewable generation for at least 15 percent of their electricity by 2021 and allow them to substitute energy-efficiency measures for slightly more than a quarter of the target.
The committee did approve several amendments, including two from Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that would exclude electricity from new nuclear reactors and expansions of existing reactors capacity from the baseline of a utility's electricity sales.
Other approved amendments would exclude electricity from coal-fired power plants equipped with carbon capture and sequestration technology from the RES mandate and also make exemptions for qualified hydropower, biogas, waste to energy and the definition of biomass.
The panel also accepted a proposal by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) that would give triple credits for carbon-emission reductions that use algae and an amendment by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to create a low-interest loan program to finance renewable-energy projects.
But other efforts to alter the RES provision failed to crack a 12-vote coalition built by Bingaman.
Several efforts to include all nuclear to the baseline was rejected in 11-12 votes -- which included Brownback voting against and Democrats Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Evan Bayh of Indiana voting for.
Bingaman opposed all those amendments, calling them "the worst of all possible outcomes."
"Including nuclear power as a resource in the RES ... doesn't make it more likely that nuclear power will be built," the New Mexico Democrat said. "The issues of not getting nuclear built relate to financing, prohibitive costs, and to some extent proliferation."
An amendment in the nature of a substitute by Landrieu to lift the cap on the amount of energy efficiency that could count toward a renewable standard also failed in an 11-12 vote. Landrieu said she would also offer such a measure on the floor.
"Somewhere along the line, we started confusing the means to the ends with the ends themselves," Landrieu said. "I offer this amendment in the spirit of compromise. We may not win today in this committee, but this is an issue that will be front and center" on the floor.
Landrieu added she might consider a higher target "if we can get it right" and it would be less disruptive to "underappreciated" industries.
Bayh, meanwhile, offered an amendment that would create tax incentives for renewable energy, which would spread the costs of promoting renewables across all regions. He withdrew the amendment and said he would also offer it on the floor.
Amendments by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to raise the standard to 20 percent by 2021, with a 5 percent efficiency offset, and Sen. Mark Udall's (D-Colo.) bid to boost the standard to 25 percent were passionately discussed but withdrawn. Both lawmakers vowed to resurrect their proposals on the floor.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Sen. Bayh Votes Against Federal RES
If you support establishment of a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), you may wish to convey your disappointment with Sen. Evan Bayh. One amendment was considered today that would have eliminated the RES title completely: it failed 9-13, with Sen. Bayh as the only Democrat voting in favor.
Please contact Sen. Bayh by calling (202) 224-5623 or senator@bayh.senate.gov.
Or you may wish to send your comments to Sen. Bayh's Energy/Environment Legislative Assistant, Chris Murray at chris_murray@Bayh.senate.gov.
May 21, 2009
Bayh opposes renewable-energy requirement
By MAUREEN GROPPE
Gannett Washington Bureau
http://www.jconline.com/article/20090521/NEWS09/90521017
WASHINGTON - Sen. Evan Bayh was the only Democrat to oppose a renewable-energy requirement approved by a Senate energy committee today as part of a broader energy bill.
Bayh said Indiana would be among the states that would bear a disproportionate share of the cost of meeting the requirement. He said a fairer system would be offering tax credits for producing power from renewable sources.
The energy bill the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is working on would require power companies to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources or from energy efficiency improvements by 2021.
"A lot of states like Indiana and most of the states in the Southeast and others around the country are going to find the renewable sources are not cost-effective," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican who tried to strip the requirement from the bill.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the New Mexico Democrat who heads the committee, had softened the requirements from an earlier version in hopes of winning over moderate Democrats including Bayh, Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Sen. Blanch Lincoln of Arkansas.
Lincoln voted for the requirement, and Landrieu did not vote.
But because two Republicans voted with Democrats, the requirement had enough votes to keep the bill alive. The committee plans to take up multiple amendments before completing action.
Twenty-eight states, not including Indiana, have a renewable-energy requirement.
"Twenty-eight states have done it and we can't do it?" said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. "Of course we can."
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat who supported the national requirement, said Michigan's standard has resulted in new jobs as power companies strive to meet it.
Please contact Sen. Bayh by calling (202) 224-5623 or senator@bayh.senate.gov.
Or you may wish to send your comments to Sen. Bayh's Energy/Environment Legislative Assistant, Chris Murray at chris_murray@Bayh.senate.gov.
May 21, 2009
Bayh opposes renewable-energy requirement
By MAUREEN GROPPE
Gannett Washington Bureau
http://www.jconline.com/article/20090521/NEWS09/90521017
WASHINGTON - Sen. Evan Bayh was the only Democrat to oppose a renewable-energy requirement approved by a Senate energy committee today as part of a broader energy bill.
Bayh said Indiana would be among the states that would bear a disproportionate share of the cost of meeting the requirement. He said a fairer system would be offering tax credits for producing power from renewable sources.
The energy bill the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is working on would require power companies to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources or from energy efficiency improvements by 2021.
"A lot of states like Indiana and most of the states in the Southeast and others around the country are going to find the renewable sources are not cost-effective," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican who tried to strip the requirement from the bill.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the New Mexico Democrat who heads the committee, had softened the requirements from an earlier version in hopes of winning over moderate Democrats including Bayh, Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Sen. Blanch Lincoln of Arkansas.
Lincoln voted for the requirement, and Landrieu did not vote.
But because two Republicans voted with Democrats, the requirement had enough votes to keep the bill alive. The committee plans to take up multiple amendments before completing action.
Twenty-eight states, not including Indiana, have a renewable-energy requirement.
"Twenty-eight states have done it and we can't do it?" said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. "Of course we can."
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat who supported the national requirement, said Michigan's standard has resulted in new jobs as power companies strive to meet it.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Will failure to pass state RES adversely affect efforts to attract renewable energy manufacturing investment in Indiana?
Dear Blog readers,
I received this as an e-mail follow-up to a telephone conversation I had earlier today with Doug Ahlfeld as I reported to him the progress of renewable energy legislation still pending during the 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Many renewable energy advocates believe that we can and will get a better Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) passed by the U.S. Congress than the Indiana General Assembly. If we do not pass a state RES again it may have a negative impact on economic development efforts to recruit renewable energy industry investment in our state. We are hearing that those who make such business investment decisions want to see a committment to the renewable energy industry from the State of Indiana. Not only that but it may send the wrong signal to Sen. Evan Bayh as he prepares to vote on a federal RES as a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The committee vote on a federal RES is expected THIS WEEK.
Yes, the wind farms may continue to be developed within our state because we have the wind resources but some of that wind generated electricity may be transmitted to other states to help utilities meet RES requirements in other states. But what about the opportunities for renewable energy manufacturing investments here in Indiana? What are your thoughts?
Laura,
The Northeast Indiana Partnership, http://www.chooseneindiana.com. who serves an 11 county area of local economic development organizations, along with the Northeast Indiana Green Build Coalition and Indiana & Michigan Power held a very successful wind energy supply chain workshop at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne this past week. Nearly 300 attendees learned of the potential for building components as the automotive industry continues to diminish area business. At least 60% of the attendees were in an automotive related business.
One of the outcomes from this workshop was the possibility of turbine manufacturers moving to the Northeast Indiana area to take advantage of our manufacturing capacity. I met personally with Mayor Henry, who would welcome such a diversity in manufacturing to this area. However, one of the drawbacks we hear from turbine manufacturers moving to Indiana is the lack of a consistent policy on wind. They want to move to a State who has a favorable policy which will promote their business. I know of two companies who are actively looking at Indiana. As I travel to Chicago next week for the National Wind Conference with some of the Northeast Indiana Partnership officiers, it would be a great advantage to us in our discussions with these turbine manufacturers to have that policy in hand before the legislation closes.
The number of jobs which could come to our area ranges from construction, to service, to manufacturing, to large truck hauling and all the other related businesses with new manufacturing. This would certainly be a vital link to bring a change in direction to our area economy.
I wish you well with your efforts in bringing jobs and wind to Indiana,
Doug Ahlfeld
Board of Directors, Northeast Indiana Green Build Coalition
Education Committee of the Indiana Wind Energy Workgroup
Office 260-693-9380
FAX 260-693-0797
Cell 260-437-1478
I received this as an e-mail follow-up to a telephone conversation I had earlier today with Doug Ahlfeld as I reported to him the progress of renewable energy legislation still pending during the 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Many renewable energy advocates believe that we can and will get a better Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) passed by the U.S. Congress than the Indiana General Assembly. If we do not pass a state RES again it may have a negative impact on economic development efforts to recruit renewable energy industry investment in our state. We are hearing that those who make such business investment decisions want to see a committment to the renewable energy industry from the State of Indiana. Not only that but it may send the wrong signal to Sen. Evan Bayh as he prepares to vote on a federal RES as a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The committee vote on a federal RES is expected THIS WEEK.
Yes, the wind farms may continue to be developed within our state because we have the wind resources but some of that wind generated electricity may be transmitted to other states to help utilities meet RES requirements in other states. But what about the opportunities for renewable energy manufacturing investments here in Indiana? What are your thoughts?
Laura,
The Northeast Indiana Partnership, http://www.chooseneindiana.com. who serves an 11 county area of local economic development organizations, along with the Northeast Indiana Green Build Coalition and Indiana & Michigan Power held a very successful wind energy supply chain workshop at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne this past week. Nearly 300 attendees learned of the potential for building components as the automotive industry continues to diminish area business. At least 60% of the attendees were in an automotive related business.
One of the outcomes from this workshop was the possibility of turbine manufacturers moving to the Northeast Indiana area to take advantage of our manufacturing capacity. I met personally with Mayor Henry, who would welcome such a diversity in manufacturing to this area. However, one of the drawbacks we hear from turbine manufacturers moving to Indiana is the lack of a consistent policy on wind. They want to move to a State who has a favorable policy which will promote their business. I know of two companies who are actively looking at Indiana. As I travel to Chicago next week for the National Wind Conference with some of the Northeast Indiana Partnership officiers, it would be a great advantage to us in our discussions with these turbine manufacturers to have that policy in hand before the legislation closes.
The number of jobs which could come to our area ranges from construction, to service, to manufacturing, to large truck hauling and all the other related businesses with new manufacturing. This would certainly be a vital link to bring a change in direction to our area economy.
I wish you well with your efforts in bringing jobs and wind to Indiana,
Doug Ahlfeld
Board of Directors, Northeast Indiana Green Build Coalition
Education Committee of the Indiana Wind Energy Workgroup
Office 260-693-9380
FAX 260-693-0797
Cell 260-437-1478
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sen. Bayh Appointed to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; Cong. Hill Appointed to Energy and Environment Sub-committee
From Kate Sheppard, Grist's D.C.-based political reporter posted yesterday (01/10/09):
At a hearing on Thursday, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) announced the newest Democratic members of his committee (though their appointments aren't yet final): Evan Bayh (Ind.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), and two new senators, Mark Udall (Colorado) and Jeanne Shaheem (New Hampshire).
Grist is an online environmental magazine offering news, commentary, and laughs. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor.
Earlier this week (01/08/09), the Democratic Caucus of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce made subcommittee selections for the 111th Congress. Indiana Congressman Baron Hill has been appointed to the Energy and Environment Sub-committee as well as the Communications, Technology and the Internet Sub-committee.
At a hearing on Thursday, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) announced the newest Democratic members of his committee (though their appointments aren't yet final): Evan Bayh (Ind.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), and two new senators, Mark Udall (Colorado) and Jeanne Shaheem (New Hampshire).
Grist is an online environmental magazine offering news, commentary, and laughs. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor.
Earlier this week (01/08/09), the Democratic Caucus of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce made subcommittee selections for the 111th Congress. Indiana Congressman Baron Hill has been appointed to the Energy and Environment Sub-committee as well as the Communications, Technology and the Internet Sub-committee.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
