Pelosi Punches Boucher Proposal To Eliminate State GHG Laws - Will NOT Come To House Floor

[hatrack]

(06-06) 04:00 PDT Washington -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, responding to pressure from California officials and environmentalists, has slapped down a new proposal by top House Democrats that would have wiped out California's ability to regulate greenhouse gases from cars and trucks.

In a brief but pointed statement Tuesday night, the San Francisco Democrat said, "Any proposal that affects California's landmark efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or eliminates the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions will not have my support." Her message was a shot at two House Democrats -- Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., and Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., both leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee who have been crafting new energy legislation that would have thwarted the state's ability to set tougher-than-federal standards to cut vehicle emissions.

Her opposition means the proposal will never make it to the House floor.

California officials and environmentalists were outraged at the provision, first reported in The Chronicle on Tuesday, which would have blocked California and 11 other states from implementing laws requiring automakers to cut greenhouse gases. The bill would have specifically barred the Environmental Protection Agency from granting the states waivers to put their vehicle emissions rules into effect.

EDIT

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/06/06/MNGA5Q9T8B1.DTL

[tblue]

1. As goes California, sooner or later goes the rest of the country. I'm so glad she's nixed it. nt

[Dogmudgeon]

2. So Pelosi now "owes" Dingell and Boucher

Dingell and Boucher, after all, were jockeying for some advantages for Michigan and Virginia, each of which are NOT safe havens for Democrats.

So she'll be obliged to do some horse trading.

When that happens -- "WHORES! TRAITORS! WHORES! TRAITORS!"

Dingell represents a state that depends on the Great American Automobile Culture. Perhaps when the time come around, Pelosi will propose that part of the Detroit's industrial capacity be re-purposed to build some of those one-to-five million megawatt wind turbines we will need to produce even a quarter of our base-load energy.

I'm not sure what Boucher's agenda is (coal gasification?), but if he's a Democrat, chances are it's not teaching Creationism and banning public hand-holding.

There is plenty of prosperity to be generated from a new energy regime. All we need to do now is to figure out how to get there in one piece.

--p!

[cascadiance]

4. Maybe some tax breaks for building electric/hybrid cars...

... and in exchange for that also get the auto industry support for single payer health care insurance from the government, so that the U.S. automakers aren't penalized by having to pay union health insurance benefits competitively that their foreign competitors with state sponsored health plans don't, but at the same time ensure that Americans have proper health care. That would be good horse trading! Yes, then it might affect those senators in states with a lot of health insurance companies in them, but at some point as you get closer to the source of more pure forms of corporate greed, you have to draw the line.

[MasonJar]

3. Pelosi is correct. Michigan and its auto makers need to get in the real world NOW.

[jgraz]

5. But wait! Don't we need a veto-proof majority to keep a bill off the floor???

:hide:

[rucky]

6. LOL! n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

7. Shhh....

Hush now. Here, take these pills and stop worrying.

[mzmolly]

9. No only to prevent a veto.

:hi: again.

[mzmolly]

10. dup

.

[Eugene]

8. Democratic dispute over global warming - AP

Source: Associated Press

Democratic dispute over global warming

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer
25 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The lawmaker whose bill would block California
and other states from regulating tailpipe emissions is standing
firm despite opposition from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Rep. Rick Boucher (news, bio, voting record), who heads a
House Energy and Commerce subcommittee that is writing an
energy plan, said Wednesday he believes it is important to
have "unified regulations" for sources of carbon dioxide
emissions.

Pelosi, D-Calif., said she cannot support legislation that would
limit her state's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or
the Environmental Protection Agency's power to regulate them.

The two lawmakers spoke about the issue Tuesday night. Asked
how the dispute might be resolved, Boucher said, "We'll see."

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070606/ap_on_go_co/energy_pelosi_4

[nam78_two]

11. K&R.nt