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FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 62: May 14, 2003

Coming Up: Senate Battle on Climate Change Legislation

Last week, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman
Pete Domenici (R-NM) brought S. 14, the National Energy Policy Act of
2003, to the Senate floor.  All indications point to the legislation
being there until September.  One of the major reasons for this
protracted consideration will be what the federal government should
do about the control of greenhouse gases.

Domenici was able to get his committee to report S. 14 to the Senate
floor by a deliberate strategy of avoiding issues that would surely
sidetrack his legislation.  In introducing his bill on the floor,
Domenici explained, "in Committee, we also deferred to the floor a
debate over climate change.  I know the debate is coming, and I saw
no reason in consuming the time of the Committee on a matter sure to
be reconsidered on the floor." 

Domenici's prediction is a certainty.  At a hearing last week, Senate
Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John McCain
(R-AZ) made clear his intentions to offer an amendment to the
National Energy Policy Act on climate change.  McCain is one of five
Senate cosponsors of S. 139, the Climate Stewardship Act of 2003.
Introduced by Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) on January 9, this bill
would establish a market-driven system of emission gas allowances
that could be traded by major producers of  greenhouses gases.
Similar legislation to reduce acid rain emissions was passed in
1990.  The ultimate goal of S. 139 is to reduce greenhouse gases to
the 1990 level by the year 2016.  Lieberman described this bill as
the "first ever comprehensive legislation to limit the emissions of
greenhouse gases in the United States."  In his remarks on the Senate
floor, McCain said, "While we cannot say with 100% confidence what
will happen in the future, we do know the emission of greenhouse
gases is not healthy for the environment.  As many of the top
scientists throughout the world have stated, the sooner we start to
reduce these emissions, the better off we will be in the future."  At
last week' hearing,  McCain described the cautiousness of scientists,
saying it provided opponents of climate change legislation a
rationale for delay.  That, he said, makes it all the more difficult
to secure votes.  McCain described the opposition to such legislation
as "significant," later saying "sometimes it is a bit lonely."
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), who described himself as a "soul mate" to
McCain on this issue, said "we've got quite an educational process to
do." 

The Lieberman bill is not the only climate change proposal on the
table, as there are at least three other bills that would control
greenhouse gases. Indicative of how difficult the energy policy
legislation will be to move through the Senate is the general
consensus that Domenici's original target date for the completion of
this bill of Memorial Day is now seen as extending into September.

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Richard M. Jones
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi{at}aip.org    http://www.aip.org/gov
(301) 209-3094
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