House Democrats Gut Climate Bill in ‘Compromise’

And the Repubs haven't even gotten their own claws into it yet...

Share article:

With Democrats like these, who needs Republicans?…

Even as House Democrats are celebrating their deal with conservative-leaning colleagues on climate change legislation, the real winners under the compromise have been the coal, electric and auto industries, who are largely the source of the nation’s carbon emissions to begin with.

Details of the compromise are still emerging, but already the chief sponsors of the measure “” Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) “” have been forced to lower carbon-reduction targets, cut renewable fuel standards and dole out billions of dollars in benefits to the nation’s largest polluting industries. Many environmentalists say the compromise comes at the too-high cost of undermining the bill’s very purpose, which is to slash emissions dramatically enough to prevent a warming planet from heating further. Some are asking Democrats either to bolster the environmental protections or to scrap the proposal altogether.

the concessions from Waxman and Markey to this point have been made to satisfy Democrats representing regions heavy with coal, oil and automaker interests.

Details on some of those “compromises” follow, along with a reminder that it’ll get even worse once the Republicans get to water down the legislation further still…

For the coal and electric utility industries, for example, the compromise bill requires that U.S. emissions be reduced 17 percent by 2020, down from the 20 percent reduction promoted in the initial draft. The new bill also tamps down an earlier provision that states get at least 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025, instead dropping that floor to 15 percent.

Additionally, although President Barack Obama had campaigned on a platform of selling 100 percent of so-called pollution permits to industry “” a strategy he said would generate $646 billion to fight global warming over the next decade “” the House compromise gives all but 15 percent of those permits away for free.

The compromise also waters down the so-called cash-for-clunkers program, which ostensibly encourages drivers to turn in their gas guzzlers in exchange for a federal subsidy on more fuel efficient models. Yet under the compromise proposal, the new fuel efficiencies are hardly dramatic. For example, drivers trading in trucks between 6,000 and 8,500 pounds would be eligible for a $3,500 voucher for purchasing the same-sized vehicle that’s more efficient by just 1 mile per gallon.

And one more point worth noting…

And these changes have arrived before the amendment process begins. House Republicans have vowed to dilute the environmental protections even further during debate in the Energy and Commerce Committee or on the House floor. Indeed, Sen. Joe Barton (Tex.), the senior Republican on E&C, has predicted that Republicans will succeed in altering the bill to consider nuclear energy and so-called “clean coal” renewable fuels.

Share article:

--- COMMENTS follow below Ad Content ---

Reader Comments on

House Democrats Gut Climate Bill in ‘Compromise’

12 Comments

(Comments are now closed.)


12 Responses

  1. 1)
    Grizzly Bear Dancer said on 5/15/2009 @ 4:23pm PT: [Permalink]

    ILLUMINI REPUBLITHUGS = ILLUMINATI DEMOCRAPPERS.
    THE STENCH OF THE NEW WORLD ODOR CRIMINALS IS UNBEARABLE. THANK YOU FOR PRINTING THE TRUTH.

  2. 2)
    the zapkitty said on 5/15/2009 @ 4:33pm PT: [Permalink]

    Without exaggeration or hysteria these “Neo-Dems” are working hard to kill off all of our descendants in return for the chance to fill the power vacuum left by the GOP collapse and a quick fix of cash from Big Carbon.

    Less depressing news from CA, although it does mean that another rigged election is inbound:

    http://www.latimes.com/news/loc...7.story?page=1

  3. 6)
    Lora said on 5/15/2009 @ 5:48pm PT: [Permalink]

    With Democrats like these, who needs Republicans?…

    Ahh, the Pseudocrats.

    They do not care about us.

    We must never be fooled into thinking that they actually care about anyone but themselves.

    Ever.

    The short-sighted, greedy, braying asses.

  4. 7)
    Democraydiva said on 5/15/2009 @ 10:56pm PT: [Permalink]

    I am very sorry to say I HAVE HAD IT WITH OBAMA AND I WILL NEVER VOTE DEMOCRAT AGAIN. I feel like we are being raped by a beloved person of trust. He is a Trojan horse.

  5. 8)
    Agent 99 said on 5/15/2009 @ 11:57pm PT: [Permalink]

    No, no, Democraydiva, not a Trojan horse. He’s just a fantastically charming guy who hasn’t ever really had to adhere closely to his own standards to be extremely successful. I think he had to make a lot of bad concessions to get the nomination and he was left with such a literally earth-shattering mess that he’s too overwhelmed to stand against the entrenched interests. He doesn’t have the nerve to play hardball with those in his own party who don’t have the energy to stand against them either. Or with the big money interests who never make it safe or easy for whoever is in office.

    He should be in there cracking the whip, or having his famous enforcer Rahmbo doing it for him, so this wouldn’t be happening or not so much.

    Once he got elected, I think he realized the mess was so bad there was no time to fill the administration with new blood, and I’m sure Hillary would not have stood down if he did not agree to take most of her people. So we sort of ended up with a more smooth-talking version of Hillary than a strong version of who Obama only thought he was. So he’s probably having a heck of a time getting those Hillary people to execute an Obama presidency. That’s a big problem, but not beyond solving.

    I’m mad enough to strangle him with my bare hands, but there are those who say it is not too late for him to wake up from this failure of nerve and start making things happen. I hope they’re right. Because voting Republican, or Green, or Libertarian, or whatever, isn’t going to get it done either.

  6. 9)
    ArchiCoot said on 5/16/2009 @ 4:13am PT: [Permalink]

    And so HOPE DIES, not just for democratic voters but for future generations.
    Greed is NOT good, especially when it costs us the world.
    The curtains are being pulled aside to expose the hollow wizard-of-words…. but it looks as if he is not as beneficent as portrayed in the movies.
    Brace yourselves for severe weather of all kinds.

  7. 10)
    Lora said on 5/16/2009 @ 9:50am PT: [Permalink]

    They won’t get the job done unless and until we make them get it done.

    They are politicians. Period. Politicians do whatever they have to do to get in power or stay in power.

    Obama is the same. He is a Democratic politician. He has his good points (yes, he does), and his bad points.

    He’s no worst than most, probably better than some. Any presidents out there who actually made good on the better part of their campaign promises? Obama inherited a bloody royal mess, and he’s taking the very cautious middle road, not being the bold agent of change he made himself out to be. On the “good” side, it seems that he’s slowing down the rate of worsening. That’s something, but obviously not nearly enough. Whether anyone else could do better, I don’t know.

  8. 11)
    Konstantin said on 5/16/2009 @ 4:48pm PT: [Permalink]

    Not that I agree with the “science” of global warming, cause it’s mostly political (consensus is a political term not a scientific one), but

    When are people going to realize that multi-trillion dollar interests are not just going to roll over every four years while a president who doesn’t have their interests at heart might get elected? What they do is get “their candidate” or a candidate and cabinet that’s sympathetic to their needs and “get him elected” and sell him to the people as if he is the people’s candidate.

  9. 12)
    colinjames said on 5/17/2009 @ 12:10pm PT: [Permalink]

    We’re going to compromise ourselves right into extinction, first as a nation, then as a species.

    #9 very well said, poetic even. I strongly believe that greed is basically the root cause for just about everything that’s wrong with our country.

    Like most of you here I’m yet another disillusioned, disheartened democratic voter. We were sold ‘hope’ and ‘change’ and got neither. What makes it so tragic is that we sufferred so long under Bush- watched as he stole two elections, start two wars, turn the world against us, torture, lie, and steal, bumbling and mumbling along all the while as the moron-in-chief that he is; so finally, after that long eight years of daily outrage, we get our guy in the White House, along with Democratic majorities in Congress… only to find out we’ve been bamboozled by our own party, our own hero, and that the Wall Street/K Street corporate interest nexus really DOES run our country, Republicans still control the message and the debate, still seem to get everything they want, and get to whine about being victims of Socialist-Democrats at the same time, and it makes me ill, it makes me sad, and it makes me wonder if I’ll ever get my country back, if we’ll ever see justice, if we’ll ever see an end to the war on everything we seem to be engaged in, except the only war we should be waging- the war on climate change which threatens us all.

(Comments are now closed.)


--- Ad Content ---

BB SIDEBAR NOTICE

Thanks to you, The BRAD BLOG has been trouble-making and muckraking for … 22 YEARS!!!

Please help The BRAD BLOG, BradCast and Green News Report remain independent and 100% reader and listener supported in our 23rd YEAR!!!

ONE TIME
any amount...

MONTHLY
any amount...

OR VIA SNAIL MAIL
Make check out to...
Brad Friedman / BRAD BLOG
7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594
Los Angeles, CA 90028

RECENT POSTS

‘Just a Flat Anti-Trust Violation’: DOJ Defies Career Staff to Okay Paramount-Warner Deal: ‘BradCast’ 6/16/2026

Guest: John Bergmayer of Public Knowledge on the corrupt merger and threat to CNN; Also: Return of the fake electors! In NV, GA primaries and criminal arraignments in WI...

‘Green News Report’ – June 16, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

Deal or No Deal in Iran, Trump is Losing his War on America: ‘BradCast’ 6/16/2026

One court loss after another (but not for the Knicks!) over an otherwise very distracting weekend; Plus: Callers ring in!...

80-Year Old President Now Underwater in Almost Every State

Including Florida, Texas, Ohio...

Sunday ‘Happy Birthday’ Toons

THIS WEEK: 80 47 ... Deal or No Deal? ... FIFA on ICE ... Trump 💖 Inflation ... Platner and Pigs ...

Trump’s Name Removed from Kennedy Center Building

UPDATES: Court rejects last minute appeal, rules name must come down off building; Workers build scaffolding solely to obscure removal; By Saturday morning, name is reportedly down, sign still curtained off...

Trump Policies Imperiling Social Security, Depleting Trust Fund; ‘BradCast’ 6/11/2026

Guest: Nancy Altman of Social Security Works; Also: FL Supremes okay GOP's unconstitutional U.S. House map; Ebola outbreak explodes amid U.S. leadership vacuum...

‘Green News Report’ – June 11, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

Maine Dems Elect Platner in Landslide: ‘BradCast’ 6/10/2026

Repub Hilton 'wins' slot in CA Guv general election; Inflation spikes again; New U.S. solar milestones despite Trump; Primary results from ND, NV, SC and ME...

Corporate Donors to White House Ballroom Win $50 Billion in New Government Contracts, Funding: ‘BradCast’ 6/9/2026

Guest: Robert Weissman of Public Citizen; Also: Updates on the races for CA Guv, L.A. Mayor, Trump's evidence-free allegations of election fraud...

‘Green News Report’ – June 9, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

‘Crooked or Stupid’: Trump Rails Against ‘Rigged’ CA Elections, Offers No Evidence, Storms off Interview: ‘BradCast’ 6/8/2026

Counting continues in CA; Critical ME primary tomorrow; Also: Callers ring in, some who have fallen for phony rightwing 'voter fraud' claims...

Sunday ‘Tick Tick Tick Tick’ Toons

THIS WEEK: Breaking News at CBS ... On the Money ... Iran and Iran We Go ...

‘I’m not a Victim. I was a Criminal’: J6er Says ‘No’ to Trump’s ‘Weaponization’ Slush Fund Money: ‘BradCast’ 6/4/2026

Guest: Convicted MAGA rioter Jason Riddle; Also: Pelley charges new CBS execs pushing 'falsehoods', 'bias' into '60 Minutes'...

‘Green News Report’ – June 4, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

About Brad Friedman...

Brad is an independent investigative journalist, blogger and broadcaster. Full Bio & Testimonials… Media Appearance Archive… Articles & Editorials Elsewhere… Contact…

He has contributed chapters to these books…
…And is featured in these documentary films…

BRAD BLOG ON THE AIR!

THE BRADCAST on KPFK/Pacifica Radio Network (90.7FM Los Angeles, 98.7FM Santa Barbara, 93.7FM N. San Diego and nationally syndicated, Monday-Thursday, on many other affiliate stations! ALSO VIA PODCAST: RSS/XML feed | Pandora | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | iHeart | Amazon Music
GREEN NEWS REPORT, nationally syndicated, with new episodes on Tuesday and Thursday. ALSO VIA PODCAST: RSS/XML feed | Pandora | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | iHeart | Amazon Music
Media Appearance Archives…

--- Ad Content ---

ADDITIONAL STUFF

Brad Friedman/
The BRAD BLOG Named...

Buzz Flash's 'Wings of Justice' Honoree
Project Censored 2010 Award Recipient
The 2008 Weblog Awards