Holy Toledo!!! U.S. Chamber of Commerce reverses self. Will support a climate bill

[beachmom]

Just caught RLMiller's diary:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/11/3/800186/-Chamber-caves:-Not-whether,-but-how-to-pass-climate-bill

At the end of the half-empty hearings, a mysterious letter was handed to Boxer. The letter, now on the Chamber's website, is entitled "Climate Change -- A Different Approach."

It is time to consider a different approach.

The challenge of drafting comprehensive climate legislation is not "whether" to do something, but "how." There are many good ideas out there that can serve as a solid, workable, commonsense and realistic foundation on which to craft a bill. The Chamber commends Senators Kerry and Graham for their recent New York Times editorial on the need for comprehensive climate legislation. The Chamber welcomes the call for a new conversation on how to address the issue, and believes their editorial can serve as a solid, workable, commonsense foundation on which to craft a bill.

Obviously, devil in the details. But this is a big deal. Especially after that depressing WaPo article. Oh, and Harry Reid stepped in and made Boxer hold back the bill so that the Republicans could have the EPA report they wanted. Frankly, given what was said in that Grist article (that Boxer didn't do very well with the Warner/Lieberman bill, which is why Kerry is kind of in charge of the bill), I think Reid probably talked with Kerry first, and that this was the best way to deal with the impasse.

[wisteria]

1. I watched Boxer's hearing today. It was sad watching her conduct it w/o

the Repubs present. But, I think Boxer is right, they do not need another report. I consider this just another Repub stall tactic, but I see why we have to bend over a bit for them if we want to pass something. I hope after all of this a bill is passed. (I am beginning to have my doubts about the Health care bill with the public option.)

I was wondering though, what the letter was she was handed. She ended the hearings abruptly and said it would reconvene later- which it never did. So, thanks for posting this.

[beachmom]

2. Lindsay Graham basically backed them boycotting.

Since he is the main GOP ally, she had to relent to those demands. The thing is, had she proceeded (even though I agree a THIRD report was hardly needed), the bill might have been dead, amidst a major battle like that.

[wisteria]

3. Yeah, I realize the Repubs were not going to back down on this.

I just hope this new report is produced very quickly.

[beachmom]

4. Okay. Now back to bad news. No climate bill this year.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/11/climate-bill-2010

It's official: climate legislation has zero chance of passing before the big summit in Copenhagen this December. Many observers have assumed this for a while, though some (myself included) were hanging on to a shred of hope that senators could produce something in time for the meeting. But on Tuesday Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a full run of studies after he combines the various components of climate and energy legislation into a single bill. The EPA says this process will take about five weeks. Copenhagen kicks off on Dec. 7, just 32 days from now.

[wisteria]

5. Ugh. I am so pessimistic today. I feel Democrats will get nothing passed.

even though it was not expected that the climate bill would pass by the summit. I know Kerry at least wanted to be able to say there was major progress on this.
The Repubs have succeeded in slowing things down until we are into the next election period. And, then we have Dem's not wanting to sign onto some of these presidential initiatives. I blame a lot of this on the Blue Dogs who care more about their asses then they do about what is good for this country and backing our president.
How is it possible that we control both chambers and still we can get nothing of significance passed?

[beachmom]

6. If Dems don't get anything done, expect a bloodbath in '10.

Do they get that they need to get on the scoreboard? Stop being so wimpy, guys, and do it.

I am talking about HCR, of course. They should get that done before Christmas. Period. Then take up climate change right after the new year.

It's just hard to understand why one would want power, and then not use it.

[fedupinBushcountry]

7. Agree, 100% n/t

[wisteria]

8. Yes, I remember the excuses given for not getting things done before was because we need majorities,

now that we have them, we seem to constantly be out maneuvered by the Repub.and continue to want to include them in things they have no intention of voting with us on. And, does the public recognize we are trying to work with them? In my opinion, no. I hope that this new coalition between Kerry,Graham,and Lieberman will amount to something on Climate change, but I have serious doubts about it.

[ProSense]

9. Arrrgh!

Three senators join forces to rescue climate bill

By DINA CAPPIELLO

WASHINGTON – A trio of senators — each with differing politics — is launching a rescue effort for troubled climate legislation.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., together with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., announced Wednesday that they would work to patch together a bill that could pass the Senate.

A bill introduced by Kerry and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., that would impose mandatory limits on heat-trapping gases for the first time is stalled in committee because of a Republican boycott.

The senators said that they were not usurping that effort, but would take the best pieces from the bill and develop legislation that has majority support. Among the additions could be more incentives for nuclear power and provisions for offshore drilling.

[beachmom]

10. A cap & trade bill without cap & trade?

Way to go, guys!

:eyes:

[wisteria]

11. The Repubs won this battle by using the loss of jobs and new tax scare tactics.

And, even after these concessions, will it pass?

[beachmom]

12. Part of press conference:

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/11/04/graham-green-economy/

I will hunt for the whole thing.

Here is the whole press conference. Watching now:

http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/11/04/HP/R/25045/Partisan+Divide+Affects+Climate+Markup.aspx

[Mass]

13. Is it the election that gives you the blues. Nothing has changed.

There was never going to be a bill before Copenhagen. It was said again and again. There is a process in place and the process advances. The time lost with Baucus and co dealing with healthcare cost us time, of course, but this has been known since July.

As for a bill without cap and trade, somebody needs to tell me where this one comes from? It is in the EPW bill. Whether it is called this or something else does not matter as long as it is there. If anything, Kerry tries to use other words because the GOP is using cap and taxes.

I am not very optimistic about this bill because I do not think the Senate has the votes, but having the votes would mean that many Dems were behind a decent bill, and few are.

As for healthcare, we will see what happens. Something will pass. I am still skeptical that it will be useful without a solid public option.

[beachmom]

15. No, my annoyance is chatter that there won't be a health care bill this year.

That is unacceptable. They need to get that done and finished before Christmas.

As to global climate change, I think that will move forward, but because of Inhofe & co., it will now be delayed 5 weeks in the EPW committee. That is a significant delay.

However, I just viewed the press conference of Kerry, Graham and Lieberman, and I think they have something brewing:

http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/11/04/HP/R/25045/Partisan+Divide+Affects+Climate+Markup.aspx

Basically, they are taking the committees out of the picture to a certain extent. No more Baucus committee repeat where all the focus was on it, and it made everyone look bad. Their "dual track" bill will be based on horse trading with each individual Senator who they think is persuadeable, done very privately. The point is the Inhofe crowd is really a minority in the Senate. A significant minority, but hardly represents all Republicans. But they seem to be quite able to be involved with mischief in these committees.

I don't think this is going to be a Sierra Club dream bill. However, I think the way it has been framed (especially by Lindsay Graham), they really are aiming to get one on the score board. And Lieberman will actually be incentivized to get something done, instead of being a spoiler.

[wisteria]

17. Delete.

[ProSense]

14. Reaction

via Think Progress:

David Bookbinder, the Sierra Club's chief climate counsel, applauded the new language. He said it removed the problematic possibility that EPA could be forced to regulate greenhouse gases as air toxics or criteria pollutants while allowing the agency to regulate large stationary sources and mobile sources.

"There's nothing wrong with requiring emission controls that are technologically and economically feasible, even under a cap-and-trade system," he said.

"NAAQS is the best tool of which I am aware to get pollution levels to where the science is telling us," said Bill Snape, senior counsel of the Center for Biological Diversity. He said that the authority to set ambient pollution levels with NAAQS could be a useful way to cap atmospheric carbon dioxide at safe levels. Snape worries the concession is a signal that similar compromises are coming down the pipe. "We haven't even started markup yet and we're giving stuff away," he said.

[wisteria]

18. Well, that is positive. n/t

[beachmom]

16. AP article is off.

Graham, in the press conference said it would include nuclear, offshore drilling, "clean coal", ALONG WITH pollution control. So he did include the important element of dealing with carbon.

What a useless informationless article.

HuffPo says they are announcing a "weaker" bill. Where did they say that? And how was it not going to be weakened going through, say, Lincoln's committee?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/04/kerry-graham-lieberman-wo_n_345650.html

WaPo sees things more the way I do:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2009/11/kerry_graham_lieberman_announc.html

Kerry gave few details about when he and the other senators would be done with their work. "When and how it becomes a piece of legislation will be determined by Harry Reid," he said.

The idea that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would meld the various climate proposals into a single bill is not a new one: with six committees working on related bills, Democrats have long said that someone would have to stitch them all together. But Wednesday's announcement was an early, and stark, signal that the committee bills would not be the only things shaping the final product.

I view this is we are not going to have a Baucus committee repeat.

[wisteria]

19. No Baucus repeat would be a good thing. n/t