[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 12 (Monday, January 22, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H792-H793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GLOBAL WARMING
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of
January 4, 2007, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) is
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about
global warming and our energy future, the epic challenges of our time.
First, I want to applaud our leader, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for
recognizing the importance of this issue to our children and our
grandchildren. And I think she is right to put a deadline for the House
to act.
Energy independence and global warming are of paramount concern to
the American people. Most polls show the American people, by 70 to 80
percent, think these are very serious problems.
Today, a significant development occurred on this front. In the
Capitol this morning, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership issued its
call for action. This group is composed of environmental groups, World
Resources Institute, NRDC, Environmental Defense, the Pew Center on
Global Climate Change; industrial giants like Alcoa, BP, Caterpillar,
Duke Energy and Dupont; and many others, including our power company in
New Mexico, PNM Resources.
Listen to what they say in their report: ``We know enough to act on
climate change.''
``The challenge is significant, but the United States can grow and
prosper in a greenhouse gas constrained world.''
``In our view, the climate change challenge will create more economic
opportunities than risks for the U.S. economy.''
``We need a mandatory flexible climate program.''
This report is significant, because major U.S. companies have stepped
up to the plate and called for action now. They are optimistic. They
believe we can get this done. In the 109th Congress, the Udall-Petri
legislation, H.R. 5042, had most of the components called for by this
partnership. We will reintroduce it in the 110th and try and capture
these up-to-date recommendations.
Udall-Petri stands for immediate action. Our bill is a mandatory cap-
and-trade system that uses the marketplace. It puts a price on carbon
dioxide emissions. Our bill has a safety valve which balances economic
losses with emissions reduction achievements. And our bill provides the
flexibility to unleash American business ingenuity.
I told the partnership their first agenda item should be to meet with
President Bush. Their message needs to be heard in the White House. The
President has called for a voluntary program. While his voluntary
program has been in place, we have seen no reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions. In fact, we have seen every year in the 6 years a 2 percent
increase every year. President Bush should take note of these business
leaders and let's join together to leave the planet a better place for
our children and grandchildren.
Madam Speaker, this morning myself and several Senators and
Representatives including the Senate Majority Leader Reid and House
Majority Whip Hoyer had the honor of participating in an unprecedented
meeting with the CEOs of DuPont, GE, Duke Energy, Lehman Brothers,
PG&E, FPL Company, Caterpillar, Alcoa, BP America, and PNM Energy from
my home state of New Mexico, and the heads of the Natural Resources
Defense Council, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Environmental
Defense, and the World Resources Institute. The United States Climate
Action Partnership, as this organization of CEOs is named, has
coalesced around the urgent need to enact a federal global warming
policy, and to enact it now. I am humbled both by the commitment
expressed by these leading global corporations and by the enormity and
importance of the task we here in Congress have before us to craft
policies to address perhaps the most pressing issue of our generation.
I applaud them for their leadership and courage on this issue, and I
look forward to working with them.
The time for debate about whether or not global warming is real and
whether or not it is
[[Page H793]]
attributable to human activity on this planet, has passed. America must
lead the global effort with a national global warming policy. We can no
longer sit and reap the benefits of fossil fuels without mitigating the
negative effects they are having on our planet and our way of life. We
cannot, we must not, leave this one up to our children.
It is now the moment in time when we must create a policy to address
global warming. To that end, my good friend and colleague from
Wisconsin, Mr. Tom Petri, who was also present at the meeting this
morning, have developed a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions
control bill. We introduced the Keep America Competitive Global Warming
Act during the 109th Congress and are currently making minor changes to
the legislation for reintroduction in the coming weeks. Our legislation
will put our country on the path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
while not jeopardizing American competitiveness, American jobs, and the
American economy.
The bill is an economy-wide, upstream, cap-and-trade policy that
covers all greenhouse gas emissions. However, to provide some certainty
to the economy, the bill provides for an unlimited number of additional
``safety valve'' allowances. This safety valve provision provides cost-
certainty to industry and will help ensure that this policy will not
result in economic harm. We believe it is better to have a policy that
works slowly yet surely rather than one that might prove economically
unworkable. Many companies, including some who were present at this
morning's meeting, have expressed the need for a safety valve in any
mandatory greenhouse emissions control legislation.
Some of the other key provisions of this legislation include the
creation of an Advanced Research Projects Agency at the Department of
Energy to explore the truly out-of-the-box, high-risk, high-payoff
research that will be necessary if we are to get to a low or no carbon
dioxide and greenhouse gas world. Technological advancement hold the
key to the long-term solution of global warming. Our bill also includes
resources for workers, entities and localities who may be negatively
impacted by this policy. Also, Madam Speaker, to address concerns about
American competitiveness, our legislation ensures that the United
States will not be put at a competitive disadvantage relative to
developing countries or countries not taking actions comparable to ours
to stem greenhouse gas emissions.
Madam Speaker, the message we hear from scientists is clear, we must
act immediately to stop global warming. We must do so, however, in a
responsible manner that does not cost American competitiveness and
American jobs. Mr. Petri will soon be reintroducing our reasonable,
certain, and efficient global warming legislation. Please join us in
combating one the most pressing issues facing our country today.
____________________