US Senators confirm that climate bill will include House biofuels protections

In Washington, US Senate Agricultural Committee chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa said that climate legislation in the Senate will incorporate all provisions obtained by House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson in the House cap-and-trade bill, HR 2454, and said that the Senate would not only repeat the Peterson provisions but in all likelihood would add to them.

Ranking Agriculture Committee Republican Saxby Chambliss of Georgia told the New York Times that “You’re going to see more interest in agriculture on the Senate side, I think.”

Chairman Harkin met earlier this week with Senate Environmental Committee chair Barbara Boxer of Califoirnia, who yesterday dramatically announced that the climate bill would not reach the floor of the Senate until after the summer recess of Congress.

Among other provisions in the House bill, Harkin said that indirect land use change would be specifically targeted in the bill, and said that the Senate would not permit the ILUC provisions as drafted by the EPA to stand. Harkin also said that he would seek to expand carbon offset opportunities for farmers and ranchers. “EPA’s got to get over their absolute rejection of ethanol,” Harkin told the New York Times. “They’ve just got to get over it. And we’re going to force them to get over it.”

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

US House and Senate Farm bills contrasted

A comparison of differences between the US House and Senate fuel bills was published in the Washington Post. Key contrasts cited by the Post included: average vehicle fuel efficiency mandates (in t...

House Speaker meets with Agriculture Committee chairman Peterson on biofuels, climate change bills

In Washington, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with House Agriculture chairman Collin Peterson, who has said that he opposes the climate change bill because is seeking to make action on biofuels a h...

Biofuels feedstock neutrality amendment is added to Senate climate bill

In Washington, word has come through that an amendment — proposed by Senators Jeff Bingamann and Tom Carper that would ensure algae is recognized among biofuels feedstocks in the climate bill— has...

Senate climate bill proceeds with markup despite Republican boycott

In Washington, the Kerry-Boxer climate bill was marked up in committee despite a boycott by Republicans. The bill, which is similar in structure to the House bill, contains  tougher greenhouse gas re...

Roll Call of Senate flip-floppers on biofuels mandate

The following US Senators voted for passage of the Energy Security and Independence Act 2007 on 12/14/07 and yesterday wrote to the EPA Administrator to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard established i...

Climate bill in peril on Capitol Hill as lawmakers face consumer pressure over higher energy costs

In Washington, the climate bill which proposes a 20 percent gut in greenhouse gases by 2020 and an 83 percent cut by 2050, is running into stormy weather on Capitol Hill. According to news reports,...