US Energy Secy Tells Congress 'no' to Emissions Cap
Date: 09-Feb-07
Country: US
Author: Tom Doggett
Bodman however said he would work with Congress to craft a bill to fight global warming.
Clearing global warming legislation is a priority of the new Democratic-controlled Congress, which, along with Europe, is critical of the White House's current program of only asking US companies to voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
The United States is the world's only developed country, besides Australia, that did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol that limits emissions from 35 rich countries in its first phase.
Rep. John Dingell, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said his panel is working to finish a global warming bill by June 1 and will hold two hearings on the matter next week.
Dingell said the legislation "will be fair" and hopefully have input and support from both Democrats and Republicans.
"This is a complex and difficult matter. We seek, and hope we can count on, the administration's involvement," Dingell said at a committee hearing on the Energy Department's proposed budget for the 2008 spending year.
Bodman said he would "of course" offer assistance in writing the bill.
He said President George W. Bush believes global warming is a serious problem and that the president is aware the United States produces 25 percent of world's greenhouse gas emissions, but nonetheless the administration would be against imposing a hard limit on emissions from the US market.
Rep. Joe Barton, the top Republican on the energy committee, said global warming is "becoming a larger and larger issue for the public each day," which has both a policy and political significance.
"This may be the year that we have a meeting of those two issue at the same time," Barton said.
Despite opposing a cap on greenhouse gas emission, Bodman said the Bush administration can take a world leadership role in fighting global warming.
For example, he pointed out that Bush's plan to replace 20 percent of US gasoline demand over the next decade with alternative fuels would cut emissions.
