WASHINGTON — Several key Democrats from industrial and oil states threw their support behind a draft climate bill Monday as a House committee began work on massive legislation that would impose the first nationwide limits on greenhouse gases.
While Democratic sponsors of the bill called it essential to shift the nation away from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources and deal with global warming, Republicans argued it would send energy prices soaring and threaten economic growth.
"Our nation is at a crossroads,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the committee’s chairman "We can continue to look the other way and leave these problems to our children, or we can adopt a new energy policy for America.”
Waxman in recent weeks has spearheaded delicate closed-door negotiations with other Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee, hoping to structure the bill so as to get enough support to push it to the House floor.
The negotiations appeared to bear fruit when two key Democrats on the committee — Reps. John Dingell of Michigan and Gene Green of Texas — announced their support.
Republicans, nevertheless, have characterized the "cap-and-trade” approach as tantamount to a massive energy tax because it would make energy from fossil fuels — especially electricity produced from burning coal — more expensive.
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, promised later in the week a GOP alternative to scrap the cap-and-trade approach while providing incentives for industry to develop clean energy without mandated emission reductions.
A final committee vote on the bill is not likely until near week’s end.
by the associated press
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