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Newsroom: Press Releases

After Strengthening Bill, Lautenberg To Vote For Global Warming Legislation In Senate Subcommittee

Lautenberg's Vote Expected To Assure Passage of Bill

Press Office (202) 224-3224
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After working to strengthen the bill, Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today said he would vote for legislation in a Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee crafted by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner (R-VA) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
 
“Global warming is the most serious environmental problem we face.  We owe it to our children and grandchildren to boldly and aggressively tackle global warming, and to do so quickly. To protect our families and our planet, we need to drastically reduce emissions and this bill is a good starting point,” said Sen. Lautenberg. 
 
This week, Sen. Lautenberg secured two changes to the bill, which will be added at Thursday’s markup:
 
  • Increasing coverage to include natural gas emissions to allow for further emissions reductions potentially up to 20 percent by 2020; and
 
  • Establishing a scientific “look back” provision to allow for targets to be increased if the latest science requires it.
 
Previously, Sen. Lautenberg worked to secure the following measures that have been included in the bill:
 
  • A provisions to allow – and even encourage – states to go further than the national global warming framework;
 
  • A provision to increase the short term target for covered sectors to 15 percent by 2020; and
 
  • A provision to set a firm phase-out date for free permits to emitters.
 
“The bill incorporates several of my provisions, including allowing states to pass stronger laws and phasing out free emissions permits.  While the bill needs to continue to be strengthened as it goes through the committee process and eventually to the floor, it is an important beginning,” said Sen. Lautenberg.
 
The bill, America’s Climate Security Act (S. 2191), would establish a federal program aimed at reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions enough between 2007 and 2050 to avert catastrophic global warming. 
 
The measure would deploy advanced technologies and practices for reducing emissions; protect low and middle-income Americans from higher energy costs; and mitigate the harmful effects of global warming on low and middle-income Americans and wildlife.
 
The greenhouse-gas emissions cap in the bill would cover U.S. electric power, transportation, manufacturing and natural gas sources that together account for more than 80 percent of U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions. 
 
The cap on those sources starts at the 2005 emission level in 2012 and then lowers year-by-year at a constant, gradual rate so that it can reach the 1990 emissions level in 2020 and 65 percent below the 1990 emissions level in 2050. 
 
In addition to placing a declining emissions cap over electric power, transportation and manufacturing sources, the legislation would strengthen energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings. 
 
The bill would control compliance costs by allowing companies to trade, save and borrow emission allowances and by letting them generate credits when they induce non-covered businesses, farms and other entities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions or capture and store greenhouse gases.
 
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