The Hill: Dem Mutiny on Climate Bill Grows, Says Peterson
JUNE 11, 2009
"‘I'm just estimating the number of votes that will be against this,' Peterson said. ‘I suspect that the list has grown as more members have gotten a chance to look at this. I mean, my list has grown.'"
Dem mutiny on climate bill grows, says Peterson By Jared Allen Posted: 06/10/09 08:17 PM [ET]
More and more Democrats are ready to vote against Speaker Nancy Pelosi's climate change bill, according to a congressional committee chairman who opposes his leader.
The House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) said Wednesday that he's at an impasse with the lead sponsor of a climate change bill strongly backed by Pelosi (D-Calif.), and that his list of Democratic members who would join him in voting against the measure is growing rather than shrinking.
"We're stuck," Peterson said regarding a clash he's had with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) over a number of issues in the bill. "And there's a lot of issues that haven't even come up yet."
The two powerful chairmen are butting heads at the staff level, despite a deadline set by Pelosi for all committee action to be completed by June 19.
But that may be the least of the trouble.
Peterson has warned that the bill put together by Waxman and Energy and Environment subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey (D-Mass.) will fail if agriculture-related provisions aren't altered, and he's said he has as many as 45 votes on his side. That number of Democratic defections would certainly doom the prospects of passing the bill in the House.
And while the Agriculture chairman said he's working to resolve those differences and not intentionally trying to torpedo the legislation, he noted that skepticism toward the bill is growing, not shrinking.
"I'm just estimating the number of votes that will be against this," Peterson said. "I suspect that the list has grown as more members have gotten a chance to look at this. I mean, my list has grown."
Waxman, who said negotiations were still a work in progress, viewed the situation more optimistically.
"There are a lot of things on the table and we're moving in his direction on certain things," Waxman said. Like Peterson, though, Waxman declined to specify those issues that are still dividing the two chairmen.
Trouble emerged before the Memorial Day recess when Peterson and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) objected to Waxman moving the bill only through his committee. The two chairmen insisted they have a chance to mark up the bill, or at least see that changes were made.
Peterson threatened to have enough votes to kill the bill if he didn't get satisfaction, while Rangel said he wanted to focus on healthcare first, and leave the climate change bill for a later time.
Pelosi stepped in on June 3, demanding all chairmen square their business by June 19. But Peterson said that deadline is looking tough to meet.
"We're not going to proceed unless we can get this stuff worked out," Peterson said. The two men have not yet started to negotiate face to face, Peterson said, although he and Waxman spoke at the Wednesday chairmen's meeting and agreed they needed to do so.
"[Waxman] said this is something he and I probably need to talk about," Peterson said. "I'm available. I'm just waiting for him."
Peterson has issues with provisions in and related to the bill, including how the movement toward renewable energy sources will affect rural areas and the biofuel industry.
His staff has been working with Waxman's to reach an agreement on those and a number of other unidentified issues. But even with the deadline approaching, Peterson gave a pessimistic assessment of quickly reaching a deal with Waxman.
Democratic aides said they expect a number of those issues to be aired on Thursday during an Agriculture Committee hearing on the Waxman-Markey bill.
Though not a markup of the climate change legislation, Peterson's committee is calling Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to testify about the impact the Waxman-Markey bill will have on the industry and on farm states.
"It's a chance for all of the committee members to ask questions about what this bill will mean for their communities," an aide said. "But I'm sure it will identify even more of the concerns that members have."
Forecasting yet another problem for House Democrats, Peterson said a number of those lawmakers would be happier if the House backed away from its insistence on such a comprehensive bill and instead starting working toward a more pared-down effort, such as the one being put together by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.).
"Generally, my members probably think that what the Senate's doing is better," he said. "I've had some of them say, ‘Why don't we do what the Senate is doing?' "
A Democratic leadership aide, though, said that House leaders have not considered watering down their bill to get more votes.
"My impression is that we are continuing to move ahead on the compromise bill," the aide said.
And while the House seems stuck, momentum appears to be building in the Senate to follow the House's lead of enacting as big a bill as possible.
Following Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) recent comments that "If [the House] can do it, we can do it," a group of 25 senators, led by Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), has been rallying around the Waxman-Markey legislation.
That has been music to the ears of many liberals in the House, who could balk at a bill that doesn't include a cap-and-trade system for creating a marketplace to control carbon emissions.
"It's the way we make progress," Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said of reducing greenhouse gases through a cap on carbon emissions. "You just can't do one piece of this." Note: To view this article online, click here.
Related Documents
October 05, 2010
Ozone Rule Would Kill 7.3 Million Jobs, Raise Costs Reports indicate that the Obama administration will soon finalize a new...
August 16, 2010
Democrats, Big Labor, and Radical Environmentalists Plot Rule Changes for Post-Election Climate Bill White House climate czar Carol...
August 12, 2010
For the past 20 months, President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has waged a non-stop assault on U.S. jobs...
July 28, 2010
On Friday, July 30, 2010, the House is expected to consider H.R. 3534, the CLEAR Act. This legislation represents...
July 09, 2010
Carol Browner: Liability cap increase “will mean that you only have large companies.” White House climate czar Carol...
July 08, 2010
“Voters are overwhelmingly opposed to any policy they perceive as increasing taxes on energy and have little interest in...
July 08, 2010
According to a new study by the nonpartisan American Council for Capital Formation, cap-and-tax legislation such as the House-passed...
July 01, 2010
“You never want a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to...
June 23, 2010
by Rep. Gregg Harper (MS) For nearly two months, oil has been flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from...
June 16, 2010
"From the beginning, the effort has been bedeviled by a lack of preparation, organization, urgency and clear lines of...
June 07, 2010
"The new Democratic strategy seems clear enough: try to capitalize on the unprecedented oil spill disaster unfolding in...
June 04, 2010
"In case you were wondering who's responsible, I take responsibility. It is my job to make sure that everything...
June 04, 2010
"In case you were wondering who's responsible, I take responsibility. It is my job to make sure that everything...
May 12, 2010
On May 12, 2010, Sens. Kerry (D-MA) and Lieberman (I-CT) introduced the Senate Democrats' cap-and-tax legislation. According to...
May 12, 2010
CBO Confirms Other Negative Impacts for Families and Communities According to a May 5, 2010, CBO report, under cap-and-tax...
May 05, 2010
“The American people deserve answers” Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered...
January 29, 2010
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, issued the following statement today after...
December 16, 2009
All across this nation, families and businesses are struggling to make ends meet. Millions of Americans have lost their...
December 16, 2009
Republican Leadership Press Conference December 16, 2009 Participants: - Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) - Republican Whip Eric Cantor...
December 09, 2009
December 9, 2009 Participants: - Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) - Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) - Conference...
December 07, 2009
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference and the American Energy Solutions Group,...
December 07, 2009
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, issued the following statement today as...
September 16, 2009
Posted by Declan McCullagh September 15, 2009 9:03 PM The Obama administration has privately concluded that a cap...
August 25, 2009
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement today after...
August 24, 2009
The House Republican Conference has compiled new data that has become available since the House passed the national energy...
July 27, 2009
Truth #20: Lights off in Homes, but Lights on for Art What the bill does: Mandates that...
July 24, 2009
Truth #19: Federal Government: If It Works, We’ll Replace It What the bill does: Provides taxpayer resources,...
July 22, 2009
Truth #17: Taxpayer Sponsored Infomercials What the bill does: Authorizes taxpayer money to be used by the...
July 21, 2009
Truth #16: Taxpayer-Funded “Carbon Content” Labels What the bill does: Authorizes $25 million of taxpayers’ money each...
July 20, 2009
Truth #15: Subsidizes Studies on Human Behavior What the bill does: Authorizes “such sums as may be necessary”...
July 17, 2009
Truth #14: No Household Appliance is Safe from Government Regulation What the bill does: The bill authorizes taxpayer...
July 16, 2009
Truth #13: Higher Energy Rates to Pay for Bike Paths in Senegal What the bill does: The federal...
July 15, 2009
Truth #12: Attempts to save trees in the Congo while forcing Americans to pay more for energy What...
July 14, 2009
Truth #11: Liberal Democrats Tell Real Estate Appraisers How to do Their Jobs What the bill does: Mandates...
July 13, 2009
Truth #10: Raises Electricity Prices and Kills Jobs What the bill does: The bill mandates a “cap” on...
July 10, 2009
Truth #9: Taxpayer Dollars to Help Developing Countries “Adapt” to Climate Change What the bill does: Requires the...
July 09, 2009
Truth #8: Increases Utility Rates on America’s Families and Businesses What the bill does: Mandates a Renewable Electricity...
July 08, 2009
Truth #7: Yet Another Taxpayer-Funded Giveaway to ACORN What the bill does: The bill allocates taxpayer funds to...
July 07, 2009
Truth #6: Uses American Tax Dollars to Plant Trees What the bill does: Authorizes such “sums as may...
July 06, 2009
Truth #5: Taxpayer-Funded Mobile Homes What the bill does: The Democrats’ national energy tax requires electricity providers and...
July 03, 2009
Truth #4: Promotes “Green Banks” At a Time of Record Job Losses What the bill does: Requires federal banking...
July 02, 2009
Truth #3: Creates the Largest Welfare Program in Our Nation’s History What the bill does: The bill...
July 01, 2009
Truth #2: Democrats Want Fannie and Freddie to do to our National Energy Policy what They Have Done to...
June 30, 2009
Truth # 1- Federal Government Intrusion: The Federal Government Wants to Tell You How to Build Your House...
June 26, 2009
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement on the...
June 26, 2009
To view this clip on Bloomberg with Mark Crumpton, click here. Transcript below: Mark Crumpton: For more...
June 25, 2009
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has put cap-and-trade legislation on a forced march through the House, and the bill may...
June 18, 2009
Based on the allowance allocation formula in H.R. 2454 for electricity consumers, the red states will not have enough...
June 11, 2009
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement on the...
June 11, 2009
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement on the...
June 11, 2009
The Wall Street Journal The GOP's Energy Alternative We need more nuclear power. By Mike Pence,...
June 11, 2009
The Wall Street Journal The GOP's Energy Alternative We need more nuclear power. By Mike Pence,...
June 10, 2009
House GOP Brings Back 'All of the Above' as Response to Dems' Energy Agenda By Alex Kaplun, E&E reporter...
June 10, 2009
House GOP Brings Back 'All of the Above' as Response to Dems' Energy Agenda By Alex Kaplun, E&E reporter...
June 10, 2009
House Republicans Introduce Alternative to Speaker Pelosi's National Energy Tax Guest blog post by Rep. Mike Pence...
June 10, 2009
House Republicans Introduce Alternative to Speaker Pelosi's National Energy Tax Guest blog post by Rep. Mike Pence...
June 10, 2009
Transcript below: MIKA BRZEZINSKI: With us now Republican Representative from Indiana and Chairman of the House Republican...
June 10, 2009
Transcript below: MIKA BRZEZINSKI: With us now Republican Representative from Indiana and Chairman of the House Republican...
June 10, 2009
New York Times: House Republicans Draft Energy Bill With Heavy Focus on Nuclear PowerAmerican Energy Solutions Group Chairman Mike...
June 10, 2009
New York Times: House Republicans Draft Energy Bill With Heavy Focus on Nuclear PowerAmerican Energy Solutions Group Chairman Mike...
June 10, 2009
The New York Times June 10, 2009 House Republicans Draft Energy Bill With Heavy Focus on Nuclear Power...
June 10, 2009
The New York Times June 10, 2009 House Republicans Draft Energy Bill With Heavy Focus on Nuclear Power...
June 10, 2009
House Republicans recognize that as gas prices and home utility bills rise, American families are dealt an even greater economic...
June 10, 2009
House Republicans recognize that as gas prices and home utility bills rise, American families are dealt an even greater economic...
June 10, 2009
"Today House Republicans are introducing the American Energy Act, an ‘all of the above' plan that offers energy independence,...
June 10, 2009
"Today House Republicans are introducing the American Energy Act, an ‘all of the above' plan that offers energy independence,...
May 26, 2009
The House of Representatives isn't usually known for its shipbuilding skills. Nevertheless, thirty-six Members of the body have spent...
May 21, 2009
As Democrats push forward with a $646 billion national energy tax, Henry Waxman, chairman of the Energy and Commerce...
May 14, 2009
Democrat Charlie Rangel, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee, was quoted in this evening's Congress Daily as saying:...
May 05, 2009
As prepared for delivery: U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, and Chair of the American...
May 01, 2009
Pence: Cap-and-Trade 'Declaration of War,' to Cost US Families $3,100/Year... Cap and Trade a ‘Declaration of War,' Say...
April 29, 2009
The Democrats' cap and tax plan is nothing more than a national energy tax.The truth behind the Democrat's cap and...
April 28, 2009
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA) and Rep. Steve Scalise (LA) spoke with bloggers today about the cap and tax energy...
April 27, 2009
After three days of hearing on the cap and tax global warming legislation last week, Republicans are billing it...
April 24, 2009
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement today in...
April 24, 2009
Chairman Emeritus of Energy and Commerce Committee, John Dingell (D-MI), calls cap and trade as it is: ...
April 23, 2009
*This post originally published on Townhall.com by Rep. Steve Scalise (LA) President Obama is proposing a “cap and trade”...
April 23, 2009
Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement on the...
April 22, 2009
Summary Both Presidents Clinton and Obama called for a sweeping national energy tax in their inaugural budget submissions. In...
April 22, 2009
By John McCormack Weekly Standard April 22, 2009 It's just another inconvenient truth: If Americans want any...
April 22, 2009
6:52 p.m. The Democrat Energy Plan Cap and Trade: Caps Economic Growth and Trades Jobs Overseas...
April 21, 2009
STATUS On March 31, 2009, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Waxman (D-CA) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Markey...
April 20, 2009
House Leader John Boehner appeared yesterday on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, saying legislators should beware of "trillion dollar...
March 20, 2009
Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC) has been stirring the pot lately, with her explosive House floor ventures and determined messages...
March 17, 2009
Taxing Too Much: The President's "Cap and Tax" ProposalMarch 17, 2009 Under my plan of a cap...
|
|