Guest Blog: An Urgent Update and Message on Waxman-Markey
24/06/09 14:38
Friends,
I’m writing to provide a quick update on the coming vote on US climate legislation in the House and ask for your help in stopping some dangerous proposed changes. Last night Mr. Waxman reached a deal with the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and the Waxman-Markey bill [ED: discussed on this blog here and here] is headed for a vote on the full House floor on Friday [ED: this is, 26 June 2009]. Right now, it looks like it will pass. This is good news. Even with the weakening of the bill over the last 2 months, it is still a vital first step to long-overdue US action to address climate change. Without this bill, there can be no deal in Copenhagen in December.
Although the overall bill is worthy of support, there are some very damaging changes currently being proposed by the Ways and Means Committee that would have very negative consequences for the UNFCCC [ED: that is, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is the main international policy institution charged with ushering us to global climate adaptation and mitigation treaties] negotiations. These changes would:
These provisions would be damaging because:
- They would remove tie the hands of the President to negotiate a deal in Copenhagen.
- They would send the wrong signal in the negotiations by saying that are only concern about a new climate treaty is threatening developing countries with trade sanctions.
- Accelerating the use of trade sanctions to earlier in the process will risk WTO violations.
- Mandating that trade sanctions be included in the UNFCCC discussions could come back to haunt the US. If we are unable to join a deal because the Senate will not ratify a future treaty, these trade sanction can be imposed on the USA.
These suggested changes to the bill, which would be slipped in at the 11th hour with little debate are widely opposed by the US NGO community. They are opposed rightly by the White House as a poison pill for the UNFCCC negotiations, which are already in a fragile state. But to keep them out, we need to put pressure on House leadership and the White House to strongly oppose them.
We would urge you to reach out TODAY to any contact that you have on the Hill or in the Administration to ask that these changes not be included. The most important contacts would be: Cong. Charlie Rangel (Chair, Ways and Means); any member on Ways and Means; Carol Browner, Nancy Sutley or others in the White House; Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer or other House Leadership.
If you would like more details please let me know. Thanks for your help.
Lou
Director - US Policy on International Climate Affairs । Lou.Leonard@wwfus.org
World Wildlife Fund । 1250 24th Street, NW । Washington, DC 20037-1193 ।
I’m writing to provide a quick update on the coming vote on US climate legislation in the House and ask for your help in stopping some dangerous proposed changes. Last night Mr. Waxman reached a deal with the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and the Waxman-Markey bill [ED: discussed on this blog here and here] is headed for a vote on the full House floor on Friday [ED: this is, 26 June 2009]. Right now, it looks like it will pass. This is good news. Even with the weakening of the bill over the last 2 months, it is still a vital first step to long-overdue US action to address climate change. Without this bill, there can be no deal in Copenhagen in December.
Although the overall bill is worthy of support, there are some very damaging changes currently being proposed by the Ways and Means Committee that would have very negative consequences for the UNFCCC [ED: that is, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is the main international policy institution charged with ushering us to global climate adaptation and mitigation treaties] negotiations. These changes would:
- Insert a new section providing mandatory direction to US negotiators in the UNFCCC requiring that an acceptable new treaty: 1) require that large developing countries take action that is “comparable” to the US; and 2) permit the use of trade sanctions against developing countries that don’t take on these similar commitments. These would be the only negotiating criteria in the bill, thus sending a strongly negative message to other nations about our priorities in reaching a new global climate deal.
- Rewrite a carefully crafted compromise between Mr. Inslee (liberal, Washington State) and Mr. Doyle (conservative, Pennsylvania) that provides already very generous protections for “trade exposed” industries, such as steel, cement, aluminum. These changes would accelerate the use of trade sanctions by the US against developing countries.
These provisions would be damaging because:
- They would remove tie the hands of the President to negotiate a deal in Copenhagen.
- They would send the wrong signal in the negotiations by saying that are only concern about a new climate treaty is threatening developing countries with trade sanctions.
- Accelerating the use of trade sanctions to earlier in the process will risk WTO violations.
- Mandating that trade sanctions be included in the UNFCCC discussions could come back to haunt the US. If we are unable to join a deal because the Senate will not ratify a future treaty, these trade sanction can be imposed on the USA.
These suggested changes to the bill, which would be slipped in at the 11th hour with little debate are widely opposed by the US NGO community. They are opposed rightly by the White House as a poison pill for the UNFCCC negotiations, which are already in a fragile state. But to keep them out, we need to put pressure on House leadership and the White House to strongly oppose them.
We would urge you to reach out TODAY to any contact that you have on the Hill or in the Administration to ask that these changes not be included. The most important contacts would be: Cong. Charlie Rangel (Chair, Ways and Means); any member on Ways and Means; Carol Browner, Nancy Sutley or others in the White House; Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer or other House Leadership.
If you would like more details please let me know. Thanks for your help.
Lou
Director - US Policy on International Climate Affairs । Lou.Leonard@wwfus.org
World Wildlife Fund । 1250 24th Street, NW । Washington, DC 20037-1193 ।
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