A landmark House Ways and Means Committee hearing Wednesday, the first focused on climate change in a dozen years, illuminated the gulf between Democrats and Republicans.
Republicans have undergone a shift in recent months in saying that climate change is a problem worth addressing. But Republican committee members threw cold water on a carbon tax, a measure many climate hawks and economists view as essential.
“We believe a carbon tax is not the solution to address our environmental challenges,” said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the committee, setting the terms of the debate at the hearing’s onset.
Brady instead endorsed a private sector innovation approach promoted by others in his party, calling for Congress to provide tax breaks for clean energy development and make “smart investments” in “cutting edge” technology.
“Our goal is to find ways to make clean energy more affordable, not drive up costs,” Brady said.
Rep. Tom Reed of New York, perhaps the committee’s most centrist Republican, also echoed Brady’s opposition to carbon pricing, regulation, or mandates.
“I am a proud Republican that recognizes the issue of climate change needs to be addressed,” said Reed, who co-chairs the Problem Solvers Caucus. “You can mandate emissions relief and say we are going to do this, but if you don’t have the technology in order to do that, isn’t that a paper tiger?”
Reed prefers tweaks to the tax code. He plans to soon introduce legislation that would provide new “technology-neutral” tax credits that reward clean energy sources.
But committee Democrats argued Wednesday that innovation would fall short unless coupled with a more aggressive policy, such as carbon pricing, that forces companies to invest in clean energy technologies.
“I listened to ranking member Brady’s happy talk about progress,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. “There was no acknowledgment about the terrible [climate change] impacts that are getting worse, and the Trump administration’s concerted effort to make it even worse. So you think we can innovate our way out of this? We are on a path that is going to be very grim.”
The Ways and Means Committee does not have direct oversight over energy policy, but would have jurisdiction over any carbon pricing proposal that might gain traction in Congress.
Wednesday’s hearing became contentious even before it started. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., blocked former Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo, a one-time member of the Ways and Means Committee, from testifying at the hearing.
Curbelo had been invited by the committee’s chairman, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., to help convince Republicans to embrace a carbon tax, Curbelo’s pet project before losing his congressional seat in November.
Despite being disinvited, Curbelo appeared at the committee hearing as a regular audience member, offering the pro-carbon tax testimony he had prepared to be entered into the Congressional record.
Yet Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the Republican committee member who fulfilled Curbelo’s request, conceded, “I probably don’t agree much with what’s in Carlos’ testimony.”
Curbelo, for his part, chose to focus on progress, saying he is not discouraged by the lack of Republican support for carbon pricing. Only two Republicans, Reps. Francis Rooney of Florida and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, are on record supporting a carbon tax, neither of whom belong to the Ways and Means Committee.
“Republicans are light-years from where they were when I left this building in January,” Curbelo said.
Some committee Democrats said they too appreciate the shift among Republicans, while poking the GOP for its longtime climate skepticism.
“On global warming, are all agreeing with it now,” noted Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J. “I don’t know where the change occurred. It must have been an immaculate conception of some sort.”
Both parties couldn’t avoid partisan shots. Republicans took turns beating up on their favorite punching bag: The Green New Deal.
“It’s hard to have a serious conversation on a reasonable approach when the Democrat party supports proposals like the Green New Deal,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, committee Democrats tweeted during the hearing reminding Republicans that they hosted “zero” hearings focused on climate change during eight years of GOP control.
Republicans controlled the House for eight years.
How many #climatechange hearings did they hold during this pivotal period of time? pic.twitter.com/9EkHjoEV2L
— Ways & Means Committee (@WaysMeansCmte) May 15, 2019
Brady said both parties should take satisfaction from where they are, and try to find a way to act productively.
“We have gone from full of claims of [being] climate deniers to now we seem to be progress deniers,” Brady said, referencing how critical Democrats view Republicans. “We are making progress. Is it enough? Absolutely not. But we can learn from what’s brought us that progress to solve the challenge ahead of us, which is real.”
