Well, chalk another one up to manmade climate change hysteria. From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:
November 3, 2009
The Honorable Barbara Boxer
Chairman
Committee on Environment and Public Works
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510The Honorable James Inhofe
Ranking Member
Committee on Environment and Public Works
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510Dear Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Inhofe:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce believes climate change is an important issue for this Congress to address. The Chamber stands ready to work with Congress to resolve this issue in a bipartisan manner that recognizes regional differences, the state of the technology, and the compelling need for a solution that minimizes overall economic impact. As your committee reopens discussion on a climate bill, the Chamber urges you to take steps to bridge the political and geographical divide that prevented the enactment of comprehensive climate legislation in 2003, 2005, and 2008, and appears to have stalled the current effort.
It is time to consider a different approach.
The challenge of drafting comprehensive climate legislation is not “whether” to do something, but “how.” There are many good ideas out there that can serve as a solid, workable, commonsense and realistic foundation on which to craft a bill. The Chamber commends Senators Kerry and Graham for their recent New York Times editorial on the need for comprehensive climate legislation. The Chamber welcomes the call for a new conversation on how to address the issue, and believes their editorial can serve as a solid, workable, commonsense foundation on which to craft a bill. Many other important details are needed, but the Chamber agrees that the objectives outlined in that editorial, coupled with their clear recognition that “this process requires honest give-and-take and genuine bipartisanship,” can move this important policy objective forward in a bipartisan manner that garners strong business community support.
Senators Kerry and Graham have set forth a positive, practical and realistic framework for legislation, one that echoes the core principles that the Chamber embeds in all of its communications on climate policy. The Chamber agrees with a great deal of the principles set forth by Senators Kerry and Graham, in particular that legislation should: minimize the impact on major emitters; reduce price volatility for consumers; protect global competitiveness; invest in renewable energy sources; take advantage of nuclear power; streamline the permit system; make us the “Saudi Arabia of clean coal” by fostering carbon capture and sequestration technology; commit to increased environmentally responsible onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration; contain consumer and intellectual property protections; protect against agency regulation under existing laws not written for greenhouse gases; strengthen the hand of our international negotiators; and increase our own energy security and energy efficiency.
Good ideas are not limited to Senators Kerry and Graham. Proposals by Senators Alexander, Barrasso, Baucus, Bingaman, Cantwell, Dorgan, Lieberman, Murkowski, Vitter and Voinovich (to name a few) all contain elements that can be used in conjunction with the Kerry-Graham proposal and the positive aspects of S. 1733, the “Clean Energy Jobs and Power Act,” to craft a realistic, cost-effective and environmentally meaningful climate change bill.
Shaping a bill the Chamber, the broader business community, and a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate approve of will take significant effort. The Chamber will continue to oppose bad policies that resemble the failed climate proposals of the past, such as bills that jeopardize American jobs, create trade inequalities, leave open the Clean Air Act, open the door to CO2-based mass tort litigation, and further hamper the permitting process for clean energy. But the Chamber believes Senators Kerry, Graham, and the other named Senators have taken a constructive and positive stand on global climate change and energy security, rising above partisan politics and opening a real discussion on how to address this important issue. The Chamber has developed many other recommendations that would complement these approaches to strengthen our nation’s energy security, power our economy, and create jobs, and protect the environment, and we welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss these important issues.
Sincerely,
R. Bruce Josten
Cc: The Members of the United States Senate
In response, CEI urged Chamber members to answer the national organization “by calling on small businesses to drop their Chamber membership and join CEI in fighting this catastrophic legislation.”
Let’s see. People like to think of the Chamber of Commerce (at least on a national level) as a conservative organization. But I have news for them – you’re not going to get a proposal that solely addresses your concerns out of this Congress. Instead, you’re going to get the taxes and onerous restrictions the Democrats want as they ignore your concerns – after all, you’re a “conservative” organization (excepting your pro-amnesty stance on illegal immigration.)
Indeed, the challenge IS “whether” to do something. Since we can’t legislate the activity of the sun, believing that any lawmaking body can regulate climate change is pure folly. The only climate which can be changed is America’s business climate, which would be hit with the force of a hurricane if any climate change legislation passes.
Hopefully local Chambers will protest the national Chamber’s insensitivity to their local needs because any legislation passed by this Congress is likely to do irreparable harm to America’s business community.
