[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 126 (Thursday, August 2, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10775-S10776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             CLIMATE CHANGE

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I seek recognition today to engage in a 
colloquy with a number of colleagues who have been true leaders on one 
of the most challenging issues facing the world today climate change.
  As I stated on the floor several weeks ago, the time for action is 
now. According to the latest scientific findings of our world's leading 
experts--the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change--the confidence 
that humans are altering earth's climate has reached 90 percent 
certainty.
  It is with this sense of urgency that I recently introduced, along 
with Senator Specter, the Low Carbon Economy Act of 2007. S. 1766--
which is also supported by Senators Akaka, Murkowski, Casey, Stevens, 
and Harkin--is the product of over 2 years of deliberation and analysis 
and enjoys the support of many in industry, labor and conservation.
  Senator Specter and I are convinced--and I believe my good colleagues 
from Connecticut and Virginia would agree--that legislation can only 
attract the bipartisan support needed to put the United States on a 
path to a low carbon economy if it contains the following: No. 1. 
mandatory limits on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions; No. 2, an economy-
wide approach that meets the economic test of ``no significant harm''; 
No. 3. increased incentives to accelerate the development and 
deployment of low and zero emission technologies; No. 4. measures that 
strongly encourage our major trading partners to begin reducing 
emissions and that balance U.S. emission-reduction commitments with the 
necessity of engaging other countries; and No. 5. measures to allocate 
allowances under the program equitably and efficiently.
  Ultimately I am optimistic about our ability to forge bipartisan 
resolution of all of these issues because there is now such broad 
agreement within this body and within the business community and the 
general public about the need for real progress and action on this 
issue. At the same time, I recognize that we have work left to do. 
Senator Specter and I today hosted a meeting among many of the Nation's 
leading power producers to explore some new ideas for allocating 
emission permits within the power sector. We were encouraged by this 
discussion and plan to broaden the discussion to include a wider array 
of consumer and environmental perspectives.
  While the legislation we have introduced and the outline you are 
sharing today differ in some important respects, I believe that we have 
a great deal in common. Senator Lieberman and Senator Warner, I stand 
ready to work to address our differences in the interest in forging a 
broad consensus capable of passing legislation this year.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I thank my friend, the Senator from New 
Mexico, for the enormous contribution his efforts have made to move the 
climate change debate forward. He has

[[Page S10776]]

taken the time to study and consider many of the nuts-and-bolts issues 
that are critical to developing a balanced approach, and we all are 
better informed for his efforts.
  Like my friend, I stand here today very optimistic that we can forge 
bipartisan legislation. It is my honor to chair a subcommittee on 
climate change in the Environment and Public Works Committee and to 
have Senator Warner as my ranking member. Senator Boxer has shown great 
leadership and commitment to moving climate legislation through our 
full committee, and I look forward to working with her and all members 
of our committee to report out a strong bill in the fall. Senator 
Warner and I have reached agreement on the salient aspects of our 
climate proposal. I agree with Senator Bingaman's description of the 
necessary design elements and believe that he and others will find that 
the legislation we are working on in our committee embraces these same 
principles.
  Much of the debate recently has centered on what level of U.S. 
emissions reductions are necessary to stabilize atmospheric 
concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions by midcentury to avoid 
catastrophic consequences. I believe that it is ultimately our moral 
responsibility to curb our emissions to avoid these consequences for 
those who follow us here on Earth. I also agree that we must ensure 
that our efforts to address climate change are consistent with our 
commitment to strengthening the U.S. economy and our economic 
competitiveness.
  I note that some labor unions support the Low Carbon Economy Act, and 
while I also recognize that we are proposing approaches to cost-
containment that overlap in part and differ in part, I am optimistic 
that we may be able to find a common way forward that will protect the 
environment and the economy. It is my personal belief that reducing 
climate pollution will ultimately provide a benefit to the U.S. 
economy; however Senator Warner and I recognize that there remain many 
in this body who are deeply concerned about economic impacts from 
climate regulation. For these reasons, like Senators Bingaman and 
Specter, I am convinced that we must have robust cost-control measures 
in place in order to forge the bipartisan consensus needed for timely 
and aggressive action.
  The world is looking toward the United States for leadership on 
climate change. Only with bipartisan leadership and quick action will 
we be able assume this leadership role. I appreciate my colleagues 
joining me today in this colloquy and pledge that I will work closely 
with them to ensure that the bill we report out of the Environment and 
Public Works Committee enjoys the broadest level of bipartisan support 
possible.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I would like to join my colleagues in 
commending the growing bipartisan movement to craft climate legislation 
that can pass this body. Senator Bingaman and I have been striving for 
some time to develop an approach that provides a deliberative and 
measured response to climate change. I agree with the criteria outlined 
today. Several of these elements were critical to my support for the 
Low Carbon Economy Act.
  First, I represent a State that relies heavily on manufacturing and 
coal production. We must craft climate change legislation that will 
protect the U.S. economy. It is critical that we not only provide 
funding to develop and deploy new climate-friendly technologies, but we 
must also find the most efficient way to drive these new technologies 
forward. One aspect of the bill I sponsored with Senator Bingaman that 
I want to highlight is designed to drive the development of carbon 
capture and storage a technology that is critical to coal-producing 
States such as Pennsylvania. The bill provides a significant economic 
incentive to innovative companies willing to take on the challenge of 
building commercial-scale power plants that capture and store carbon 
dioxide emissions.
  Second, while I agree that the United States needs to take more 
aggressive steps here at home to address this issue, I also believe 
that any legislation must include provisions to ensure that we 
periodically review whether other countries are taking comparable 
action and that we be prepared to apply pressure on nations that 
continue to avoid implementing emissions limits.
  I believe that this is an idea we all embrace and thank the Senators 
from the Environment and Public Works Committee for their willingness 
to work with us as they move legislation through the committee. We must 
bring together many interest groups in the fight against global 
warming. Only with broad support inside and outside of this chamber 
will we develop a bill that can pass.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I am honored to join with my colleagues in 
this colloquy on developing a bipartisan approach to addressing climate 
change. As my friend from Connecticut already stated, we have agreed on 
the principal outlines of a climate change proposal that we intend on 
moving through the Environment and Public Works Committee this fall. 
Climate change is a very big problem, and the solution will require a 
very big tent. In addition to the good work by my colleagues standing 
here today, we also welcome continued leadership by Senators Carper and 
Alexander on our committee, Senators Kerry and Snowe in the Commerce 
Committee, Senators Biden and Lugar in Foreign Relations, and many 
others.
  I can say with utmost confidence that Senator Lieberman and I embrace 
the principles for action described by our colleagues today. As always, 
the details matter a great deal. Senators Bingaman and Specter have 
clearly invested significant time and effort on this issue, and we 
truly welcome their input as we move legislation through the committee.
  Like my colleagues, I believe that as we legislate on climate change 
we must be careful to protect our economy and pay special attention to 
those industries and regions that will bear the brunt of achieving 
necessary reductions. That is why last week I joined Senators Landrieu, 
Graham, and Lincoln in introducing legislation that I hope will allay 
the concerns of some Senators about the economic impacts of a cap-and-
trade program. We have included this bipartisan measure in the proposal 
Senator Lieberman and I have agreed to today. While I believe the cost-
containment measures we have proposed present a sound basis for 
legislation, I, too, am open to consider a combination of efforts and 
ideas so long as the resulting product makes sense ecologically, 
economically and politically. It will not be easy, but if we can 
succeed in uniting our coalitions of support, I believe we will have 
the ability to pass climate legislation in this body.
  In my 28 years in the Senate, I have focused above all on issues of 
national security, and I see the problem of global climate change as 
fitting within that focus. As with national security concerns, to 
succeed in addressing the threats of global climate change, we must be 
united at home.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I thank my friends and colleagues for 
their remarks and their commitment. We must approach this issue in a 
thoughtful and constructive way. It is my hope that we can take action 
on this issue by the end of the year. Let's not wait any longer when we 
know the one course of action we can't afford or defend is continued 
paralysis.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. I am committed to working with you and suggest that we 
bring our key staff together early in the recess to move this 
discussion forward. I think we all agree that these issues must be 
resolved and we can only benefit from a serious effort to try and 
resolve them together.

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