U.S. Chamber Calls on Senate to Take Bipartisan, Bottom-up Approach on Climate Change

Welcomes approach outlined by Senators Kerry, Graham

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today continued its support for strong federal climate change legislation. In a letter to Senators Boxer and Inhofe, the Chamber reiterated its call for a fresh approach that strikes the right balance between new and conventional sources of energy to smoothly transition to a low-carbon future—a win for the economy and the environment.

"The Chamber believes the Senate has an opportunity to promote a workable bottom-up plan that starts by addressing the fundamental building blocks—rather than the top-down approach of targets and timetables it has taken thus far," said Bruce Josten, U.S. Chamber executive vice president for government affairs.

The letter points to principles set forth by Senators Kerry and Graham as a welcome approach and one that is in line with principles the Chamber has long espoused: "It is time to consider a different approach. The challenge of drafting comprehensive climate legislation is not 'whether' to do something, but 'how.'

"The Chamber commends Sens. Kerry and Graham for their recent New York Times editorial on the need for comprehensive climate legislation. The Chamber welcomes the call for a new conversation on how to address the issue and believes their editorial can serve as a solid, workable, commonsense foundation on which to craft a bill. Many other important details are needed, but the Chamber agrees with the objectives outlined in that editorial.

"Sens. Kerry and Graham have set forth a positive, practical, and realistic framework for legislation, one that echoes the core principles that the Chamber embeds in all of its communications on climate policy.

"The Chamber agrees with a great deal of the principles set forth by Senators Kerry and Graham, in particular that legislation should: minimize the impact on major emitters; reduce price volatility for consumers; protect global competitiveness; invest in renewable energy sources; take advantage of nuclear power; streamline the permit system; make us the 'Saudi Arabia of clean coal' by fostering carbon capture and sequestration technology; commit to increased environmentally responsible onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration; contain consumer and intellectual property protections; protect against agency regulation under existing laws not written for greenhouse gases; strengthen the hand of our international negotiators; and increase our own energy security and energy efficiency.

"Shaping a bill that the Chamber, the broader business community, and a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate approve of will take significant effort. The Chamber will continue to oppose bad policies that resemble the failed climate proposals of the past, such as bills that jeopardize American jobs, create trade inequalities, leave open the Clean Air Act, open the door to CO2-based mass tort litigation, and further hamper the permitting process for clean energy."

"The Chamber looks forward to being an active, constructive participant in this new conversation," said Josten.

To read the Chamber's letter to the Senate in its entirety, click http://www.uschamber.com/issues/letters/2009/091103climate.htm

To read the Chamber's Blueprint on climate change (September 2008), click http://energyxxi.org/reports/Blue_Print.pdf

To read the Chamber's Transition Plan to the administration (November 2008), click
http://energyxxi.org/reports/Transition_Plan.pdf

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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