Congress Daily: House GOP Blasts Pace Of Climate Measure

Jun 19, 2009
In The News

Eight ranking House Republicans have sent a letter to House Speaker Pelosi calling on her to step back from her deadline to get the Democratic climate change bill to the floor this summer.

"This bill … will have probably the greatest impact on our economy, on workers and families than any piece of legislation that has ever passed in the Congress," said Ways and Means ranking member Dave Camp at a news conference today. "Not only are we being shut out, the committees of jurisdiction are being shut out and our Democratic colleagues are being shut out, but most importantly the American people are being shut out."

Camp was joined by the ranking members of the Agriculture, Financial Services, Natural Resources, Science, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. Republicans on the Education and Labor and Foreign Affairs committees – which have discharged the bill — were also on hand.

The letter, sent earlier this week, came as Pelosi is trying to engage GOP moderates and gain their support for the measure in case farm-state Democrats defect in significant numbers.

Agriculture ranking member Frank Lucas said his committee held a hearing last week with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and seven other witnesses, none of whom would endorse the bill without reservations. "A thousand pages of permanent law, a massive tax increase, very little time to look at it. This is not how you make laws," Lucas said.

Looking for more?
For more information and past stories about climate change/energy legislation, see our Climiate Change/Energy Debate page.

Each cited varied reasons for opposition. Transportation and Infrastructure ranking member John Mica said the bill would destroy jobs and slow infrastructure creation, while Lucas warned it would reduce the standard of living in rural America.

Financial Services ranking member Spencer Bachus said the bill will create a multitrillion-dollar derivatives market overnight. Camp added it would push jobs to China, fail to reduce global emissions and amount to a massive tax increase.

The group offered no specifics on tactics, but Camp said their objections would focus on policy as well as process.

# # #

Recent Posts


Aug 7, 2024
Press

Chairman Lucas, Rep. Miller introduce legislation to improve weather prediction

Washington, DC – Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas and Congressman Max Miller (OH-07) introduced H.R. 9219, the Weather Data Taxpayer Protection Act. This legislation is a critical step in improving the accuracy and reliability of weather prediction by ensuring weather tools, purchased with taxpayer funds, are more accurate, standardized, and able to account for ever-changing weather risks. […]



Jul 30, 2024
Press

Lucas to Hold August Town Hall Meetings

Yukon, OK – Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) will hold town hall meetings in Cimarron, Texas, Beaver, Harper, and Ellis Counties next week. Residents around the locations are invited to attend and share their thoughts on current events in Washington, D.C. and across Oklahoma. For more updates on what Congressman Lucas is doing in Oklahoma and D.C., […]



Jul 26, 2024
Economy

Lucas Underscores the Need for a Full Re-Proposal of Basel Endgame

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Lucas discussed the consequences of Basel Endgame and the need for a full re-proposal with Walt Lukken, the President and CEO of the Futures Industry Association (FIA) and and Tom Sexton, the President and CEO of the National Futures Association (NFA). Stakeholders agree that the banking regulators should re-open the proposal […]