The Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works held its first hearing on climate change yesterday, with more planned before the August recess. For Houston Chronicle story, click here. According to the story,
[t]he House passed its own climate change bill in June by a close 219-212 vote. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chair of the Senate panel, and other supporters face daunting odds reproducing that success in the Senate. A Senate bill is likely to be introduced this month and is expected to mirror much of the House legislation.Some Senate Democrats have deep concerns over how the bill may affect many industries, including agriculture. For the Committee's hearing schedule, click here.
At yesterday’s hearing, Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack answered questions from the Senators. According to the Wall Street Journal,
Mr. Chu and the secretaries of agriculture and interior joined the chief of the Environmental Protection Agency in making Mr. Obama's case to generally supportive Democrats and skeptical Republicans.For Wall Street Journal story by Robert Schroeder, click here.
Although the Republican opposition has called the bill an energy bill that will raise taxes on Americans, Democrats are trying to educate the public that it is a jobs bill and a bill to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. For Washington Post story by Paul Kane, click here.
Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns wrote a letter yesterday to Senator Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Senator Saxby Chambliss ranking Republican member on the committee requesting that the committee investigate the impact of cap and trade legislation on American farmers and ranchers. For press release and letter, click here.
To hear audio of Missouri Senator Kit Bond question Secretary Vilsack over the benefits to agriculture from cap and trade, click here for copy of audio on the Oklahoma Farm Report.
For a copy of the opening remarks of the Administration officials that testified, along with the opening remarks of the other leaders that testified, click here.
Posted: 07/08/09
