democratic lawmakers on tuesday proposed cutting greenhouse gases by one-fifth over the next decade , afaster clip than urged by President Obama.
their plan , seen as the first step toward Congress enacting climate legislation this year .
Was crafted to attract broader support among centrist Democrats . It includes measures to spur energy efficiency and to support technology to capure cardin dioxide ,the leading greenhouse gas , from coal burning power plants . The 600 page " discussion draft " will be the basis for climate debates in the coming weeks as th House Energy and Commerce Connittee works to craft a bill by mid May .
The measure offered Tuesday by Democratic Reps . Henry Waxman of Califorina and Ed Markey of Massaschusetts calls for reducing greenhouse gas by 20% from 2005 levels by 2020 , 83 percent by midcentury . Obama has urged similar long term reductions , but has proposed more modest early cuts with reductions of 10 % by 2020.
Evvironmentalists embraced the proposal and said it includdes the kind of flixibilitydesigned to attract enough Democrats those from heavy industry states , for example to get it passed .
By the Associated press
