Category: Climate & Energy

A Texas congressman said that W-M is no more than a photo-op for Obama in Copenhagen while the Chinese and Indians laugh behind our back.

Rep. John Dingell (D-General Motors) said that the endorsement of Waxman-Markey by USCAP (i.e., our eco-industrial Big Brother) proves the bill is worthy. Dingell also threatened EPA regulation.

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) urged support for Waxman-Markey on the hope that it can be improved after it is enacted…

Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) said that if Congress didn’t vote for Waxman-Markey, EPA would regulate CO2 under the Clean Air Act — i.e., with little consideration for economics.

How about a third option — no CO2 regulation at all?

… so reports Politico.com.

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) said that Waxman-Markey would “unleash the brilliance” of our scientists and engineers. Has there been a law against such brilliance up until now?

Rep. Mike Pence says that the Waxman-Markey bill, as amended at 3am, may contain new trade restrictions, but he can’t tell because of the rush to bring the bill to the House floor.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) said to today that regulating “carbon pollution” would make the future “less uncertain”…

Waxman-markey pre-liminary head-count as of Thursday afternoon (courtesy Myron Ebell):

218 needed to win…

Yes

Yes = 175
Leaning Yes = 35
TOTAL = 210

Undecided = 20

No

No = 190
Leaning No = 14
TOTAL = 204

Undecided or Won’t Say:

Kirkpatrick Az
Boyd Fla
Brown Fla
Bishop Ga
R Kirk Ill
Foster Ill
Donnelly Ind
R Jones NC
McIntyre NC
R Frelinghuysen NJ
Tonko NY
Arcuri NY
Space Ohio (he voted for it in committee)
Carney Penna.
Davis Tenn
Al Green Tex
Jackson Lee Tex
Ortiz Tex
Eddie Bernice Johnson Tex
Kind Wisc

Leaning Yes:

Mitchell Az
Cardoza Calif
Costa Calif
Baca Calif
R Castle Del
Grayson Fla
Meek Fla
Kozmas Fla
Abercrombie Hi
Bean Ill
R Cao La
Kratovil Md
R Ehlers Mich
Kildee Mich
Schauer Mich
Peters Mich
Clay Mo
Skelton Mo
Thompson Miss
Shuler NC
Adler NJ
Lance NJ
Meeks NY
McMahon NY
Murphy NY
R McHugh NY
Maffei NY
Driehaus Ohio
Fudge Ohio
Kilroy Ohio
Cooper Tenn
Edwards Tex
Rodriguez Tex
Nye Va
Kagan Wisc

Leaning No:

Salazar Colo
Marshall Ga
Boswell Iowa
Minnick Idaho
Halvorson Ill
Etheridge NC
Kissell NC
Massa NY
Kaptur Ohio
Boccieri Ohio
R Gerlach Penna
Hinojosa Tex
Mollohan WV
Rahall WV

Politico.com reports that Al Gore has canceled what was to be a personal appearance on Capitol Hill today to lobby House Democrats on Waxman-Markey.

According to the Politico report:

“As the list of undecided Members narrowed, the Speaker thought it was unnecessary to impose on the Vice President’s schedule to travel to Washington, and instead to continue coordinating efforts from Tennessee,” spokesman Drew Hammill said in an e-mail.

Perhaps … or does Gore figure that the House vote will be so close that he doesn’t want to risk personal embarrassment in the event that Waxman-Markey goes down to defeat?

The League of Conservation Voters issued the following “unprecedented” threat to Congress on June 23:

In light of the tremendous importance of this legislation, LCV has made the unprecendented decision that we will not endorse any member of the House of Representatives in the 2010 election cycle who votes against this historic bill.

Click here for the LCV letter.

This is no idle threat since, as recounted in Green Hell, the LCV was instrumental in making Barack Obama a U.S. Senator in 2004 and, well, you know the rest…