Senate Democrats will assemble their own committee to come up with “a consensus that is broad and strong” on legislation to confront climate change, party leaders announced Wednesday, and carbon pricing is likely at the top of the list.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the new panel at a press conference one day after most Senate Democrats voted “present” on a Green New Deal resolution to eliminate fossil fuels completely in the next few decades.
“We are not going to wait for our Republicans friends because this issue is so urgent, we have to focus on it, highlight it, now,” Schumer said.
[Related: McConnell video mocks Democrats who voiced support for GND, then voted ‘present’ on it]
The panel will be populated with some of the party’s staunchest green energy advocates, including Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, who warned attendees at a press conference that the air they are breathing now contains 30 percent more “climate warming carbon,” than when he was born.
Merkley told the crowd urgent action on the climate is needed before it’s too late to reverse the damage and the United States must take the lead.
“We are accelerating into oblivion,” Merkley warned. “That is what is happening to humans on this planet right now.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., who will also serve on the panel, rejected the GOP approach to green energy, which maintains tax breaks for oil companies and relies on the market to develop greener technologies which he called “the innovation fairy.” Whitehouse said the government needed to play a role in forcing the economy to shift toward carbon-neutral sources of energy.
“You put a price on carbon and you will see innovation happen in a minute,” Whitehouse said. “But, you can’t just say the word innovation. You have to change the economic structure in order for innovation to develop.”
Schumer said despite being in the minority, he plans to use the party’s leverage on must-pass bills, such as spending legislation, where 60 votes are required, to force the GOP to help pass legislation to abate climate change.
Schumer said Democrats will push for climate change provision in any infrastructure legislation, the budget, or measures to extend tax breaks.
“Even though we are in the minority, we have leverage and we are going to use it on the climate,” Schumer said.
[Opinion: On the Green New Deal, the Democrats are all yellow]
Schumer announced the one-party climate panel an hour after House Democrats, who control the majority in the lower chamber, introduced a bill that would compel the United States to remain in the Paris climate agreement.
President Trump has withdrawn the United States from the accord.
Democrats are eager to elevate climate change legislation in Congress in part because the issue is of great important to young progressive voters.
The Green New Deal was introduced by freshman star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and attracted 91 co-sponsors in the House. It calls for eliminating carbon pollution and replacing fossil fuels over the next two decades. It also includes provisions to address income inequality, health care and other progressive priorities not related to the climate.
Republicans brought the resolution up for a vote in the Senate to force Democrats to record their support for the radical plan, but most Democrats called the debate a sham and voted “present.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blocked a move by Schumer to create a bipartisan panel.
The one-party committee will act alone, Schumer said, and will be chaired by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.
Schatz said the panel won’t be introducing legislation right away, but will instead look for ideas that the party can agree upon so that when the Democrats regain the Senate majority, they will be ready to pass something.
“What we are going to do is start the process of investigating the depth of the problem,” Schatz said. “We are going to lay the predicate for action for when Chuck Schumer becomes the majority leader of the Senate.”
