Fall Battle Looms — Behind-the-Scenes Maneuvering for
Climate Change Legislation Begins to "Heat Up"
As the fall session approaches, energy and environmental
advocates are hard at work behind the scenes fashioning climate
change legislation that would overhaul the energy industry. A
battle over global warming and energy legislation was guaranteed
earlier this year when Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), for years a vocal
advocate of climate change legislation, became Chairman of the
House Energy and Commerce Committee. Decades of environmental
priorities were moved to the top of the legislative queue and are
now center stage on Congress' agenda.
After six months of negotiations, the House passed a bill in
June by a vote of 219 – 212 that, if ultimately enacted
into law, will enact reforms that are intended to reduce greenhouse
gases. The likelihood of the House bill being seriously considered
by the Senate this fall set off a sense of urgency among all energy
industry
