[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
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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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