The House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 21 approved an ambitious energy/global warming bill by a 33-25 vote, largely along party lines. The massive bill—more than 930 pages—is the result of weeks of hearings and negotiations in the House and is supported by a wide range of environmental groups, corporations and electric utilities and energy companies. But the bill’s ultimate prospects are uncertain. The legislation still has numerous critics, and must be approved by the Ways and Means and other House committees before it can move to the floor for a vote. Meanwhile, the Senate does not have a comparable bill.
Overall, the bill, introduced by committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), would seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 83% by 2050.