House GOP votes to overturn Biden rule on water protections
By Matthew Daly and Michael Phillis 03/09/23
The House on Thursday.........
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LEGISLATION
LEGISLATION
After the 2020 election, the 117th Congress was sworn in. The House remained in Democratic control (222-211)–with two seats vacant (in Louisiana’s 5th district and New York’s 22nd district). Control of the Senate moved to the Democrats (50-50 with the power to cast the tie breaking vote in the hands of Vice-President Kamala Harris) in a run-off election in Georgia on January 5, 2021 when Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock won their Senate races.
Founded in 2016, Climate Solutions Caucus is a bipartisan United States House caucus whose members are committed to taking action in response to the risks of climate change. This group, made up of equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, has introduced legislation to achieve a carbon tax. They have not, as of yet, succeeded in passing any legislation.
In February 2019, as 100 Democratic freshmen entered the House, the “Green New Deal”, a non-binding proposal to fight climate change (originally promoted by the Sunrise Movement — a coalition of young people), was introduced by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey. Whatever comes of it, climate change has definitely shifted to the middle of the national conversation. Much has been written about the “Deal” including an early editorial by the New York Times on February 24, 2019.
Valuable to remember: In 2007 when California Democrat Nancy Pelosi first became Speaker, she created, and Ed Markey (then in the House) chaired, The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. In her first term as Speaker, Pelosi helped muscle through a major energy bill, which then-President George W. Bush praised for “confronting global climate change.” When the Republicans retook control in 2011 they disbanded it.
As she remained Speaker, Pelosi re-established in February, 2019 another climate committee calling it the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Chaired by Kathy Castor, a seven-term representative from Tampa Bay, she appointed to that committee: Suzanne Bonamici (Ore.), Julia Brownley (Calif.), Sean Casten (Ill.), Jared Huffman (Calif.), Mike Levin (Calif.), Donald McEachin (Va.), Ben Ray Lujan (NM), and Joe Neguse (Colo.). Its scope is limited: It can hold hearings and plan fact finding trips, but not compel testimony — a structure that has aggravated many progressives. It is specifically instructed “to investigate, study, make findings, and develop recommendations on policies, strategies, and innovations to achieve substantial and permanent reductions in pollution and other activities that contribute to the climate crisis which will honor our responsibility to be good stewards of the planet for future generations.” Pelosi said the committee was not tasked specifically with crafting the progressives‘ “Green New Deal,” as Ocasio-Cortez had initially sought.
CURRENT NEWS
KEY RESOURCES
Inflation Reduction Act Methane Emissions Charge: In Brief
09/01/22
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed H.R. 5376 (P.L. 117-169), a budget reconciliation measure commonly referred to as the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” (IRA). Among other provisions, IRA includes a charge on methane…
Critical Minerals in Electric Vehicle Batteries
08/29/22
Expected growth of electric vehicle (EV) sales has led to concern about securing mineral inputs used in EV batteries. Various countries and companies have stated policies to accelerate the adoption of EVs in the transportation…
Environmental Justice (EJ) Provisions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act
08/22/22
This table includes provisions with the potential to provide federal benefits to communities with EJ concerns. Direct benefits, where the statute requires benefits to be implemented in or directed towards low-income, tribal, or overburdened communities,…
Modeling The Inflation Reduction Act Using The Energy Policy Simulator
08/18/22
On July 27, 2022, the United States Senate released legislative text for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which includes $369 billion in funding for climate and clean energy provisions. These emissions-reducing provisions run the gamut…
U.S. Climate Change Policy
10/28/21
The greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere trap radiant energy, warming earth’s surface and oceans. Scientific assessments conclude that GHGs very likely have been the main driver of warming of the earth’s lower atmosphere since…
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Scenarios: Background, Issues, and Policy Relevance
06/08/21
Projecting future climate change, and what drives it, is difficult,with many uncertainties. Computer models, however, can be useful tools for exploring the long-term implications of climate change and evaluating policy options. For example, models can…
Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases: Issues for Congress
06/08/21
On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (E.O.) 13990, “Protecting Public Health and the Environment andRestoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis.” Itcontains directives to update the social cost of greenhouse gases (SC-GHG),…
Aji P. v. State of Washington
02/15/21
Our Children’s Trust has supported youth plaintiffs in Washington since 2011, most recently in the youth-led constitutional climate case, Aji P. v. State of Washington. Thirteen youth plaintiffs from across the state of Washington filed…
Tracking the future of US recycling policy in Congress
10/26/20
Spurred by market challenges, the Hill has seen a historic influx of big bills. Keep up on all the latest developments with our legislative tracker.
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
02/26/20
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.
House Committee on Energy & Commerce – Accomplishments
01/29/20
The Energy and Commerce Committee is working to strengthen the economy, reduce costs for consumers, combat climate change and conduct robust oversight of the Trump Administration. Here is a look at some of the action the…
Carbon Pricing as a Solution to Climate Change
02/14/20
FCNL believes that carbon pricing is one of many essential tools that Congress should use to address climate change and shift towards a clean energy economy. While we have not endorsed any particular bill at…
Legislation Tracker
09/04/19
Keep track of bills and resolutions as they move through the House and/or the Senate on their way to passage as law.
Climate Change Laws of the World
07/24/19
Search the databases by selecting the legislation or the litigation search and applying your search criteria. You can also click here to access laws and policies on our interactive map.
MORE NEWS
The cost of climate action
By Quill Robinson 08/11/22
Climate change is often described as a “wicked problem.” That’s because there is no simple, or easy, solution. As Democrats and environmental activists celebrate the Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, they should be…
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Bill to Speed Energy Infrastructure Faces Resistance
By Timothy Puko 08/11/22
Legislation to speed the approval process for energy infrastructure projects is facing political headwinds, including from Republicans who are skeptical of assurances it will help the fossil-fuel industry and don’t like how it was tied…
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A victory at whose expense? Climate activists grapple with political compromise.
By Sarah Kaplan 08/10/22
This is the moment climate activists had been working toward. After years of protests and political fights, Congress is poised to pass its largest-ever climate bill: a record $369 billion that will be invested in…
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Conceding to Manchin, U.S. climate bill exempts most oil industry from methane fees
By Valerie Volcovici and Nichola Groom 08/10/22
The U.S. Senate climate bill’s fee on oil and gas industry methane emissions will cover less than half the sector’s releases of the powerful greenhouse gas, thanks to concessions made to win over party holdout…
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Biden finally has a climate bill. What happens next?
By Dino Grandoni 08/10/22
For 18 months, President Biden’s climate agenda was in limbo. The White House and Senate Democrats were in bumpy negotiations with Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), talks that often seemed like they’d go nowhere (and,…
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Democrats’ climate bill won’t grant tax credits to electric vehicles that source materials from China. That’s all EVs.
By Eamon Barrett 08/10/22
On Sunday, the Democrats’s climate bill, dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act, passed the Senate after an all-night “vote-a-rama” to include or reject amendments. The bill unlocks over $300 billion in spending on green energy and…
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5 ways the Inflation Reduction Act would fight climate change
By Denise Chow 08/09/22
More clean energy, less dirty energy, new punishments for methane leaks and billions of dollars for communities most in need of climate-related help — those are the provisions that have environmentalists celebrating what they see…
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Fighting inflation with climate action
By Manuela Andreoni 08/09/22
Democrats this weekend muscled through what would be the biggest expenditure ever by the United States to slow global warming, but you wouldn’t necessarily know from the name of the measure that it had anything…
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The Field Report: What the Historic Climate Bill Means for Farmers and the Food System
By Lisa Held 08/09/22
On Sunday, after a marathon session that spanned the weekend, Democrats in the U.S. Senate passed the country’s most significant climate bill to date. While lawmakers made controversial concessions that will expand oil and gas…
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Inflation Reduction Act Commits Just $47 Billion to Environmental Justice, Activists Say
By Kristoffer Tigue 08/09/22
Senate Democrats could be “overcounting” the funding for environmental justice provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and misrepresenting the bill’s benefits for low-income families, communities of color and other historically disadvantaged Americans, according to a…
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Why the climate bill’s Senate passage matters
By Ben Geman and Andrew Freedman 08/08/22
Congress is poised to pass the most important climate bill in U.S. history, the first step in a years-long effort to transform the measure into a massive, real-world expansion of clean energy.
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After passage of climate bill, long road awaits
By Steven Mufson 08/08/22
Sales of electric vehicles are skyrocketing and recently hit record highs, according to Cox Automotive. General Motors, which lost access to the old U.S. tax credit for electric vehicles three years ago, has sold 70,000…
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How Manchin kneecapped the climate bill’s EV tax credit
By Jael Holzman 08/08/22
Democrats have been jubilant about their budget reconciliation bill nearing final passage, but the auto industry is starting to worry the climate spending legislation might actually slow the nation’s switch away from gas-powered cars. During…
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Experts: Senate-passed bill will yield myriad climate benefits
By Dana Nuccitelli 08/08/22
The bill, headed to the House of Representatives within days, includes by far the largest and most consequential measures to reduce domestic climate pollution in the nation’s history, with a $386 billion clean energy investment,…
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Senate passes climate and tax bill after marathon debate
08/08/22
Despite all Republicans being opposed, the vote was a major victory for President Biden and Democrats. The bill now goes to the House, where it is expected to pass by the end of the week.
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What’s in the climate, tax and health care package
By Emily Cochrane and Lisa Friedman 08/07/22
After months of painstaking negotiations, Democrats are set to push through a climate, tax and health care package that would salvage key elements of President Biden’s domestic agenda.
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Why it took Congress so long to act on climate
By Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman 08/07/22
The Senate bill avoided the political pitfalls of past legislative attempts by offering only incentives to cut climate pollution, not taxes.
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Senate inches toward passage of Inflation Reduction Act
By Tony Romm 08/07/22
Throughout the night, Democrats fought to repel GOP amendments to the landmark package. A final vote is expected as soon as Sunday.
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Senate Democrats pass sweeping healthcare, tax and climate bill
By Jennifer Haberkorn 08/07/22
Senate Democrats on Sunday passed a sweeping healthcare, tax and climate change bill that will allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs — a significant political win as the party tries to send a message…
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Manchin’s Donors Include Pipeline Giants That Win in His Climate Deal
By Hiroko Tabuchi 08/07/22
After years of spirited opposition from environmental activists, the Mountain Valley Pipeline — a 304-mile gas pipeline cutting through the Appalachian Mountains — was behind schedule, over budget and beset with lawsuits. As recently as…
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Key Senate vote looms in marathon session on Democrats’ economic bill
By Joan E Grevein 08/07/22
Democrats drove their election-year economic package toward Senate approval early on Sunday, debating a measure with less ambition than Joe Biden’s original domestic vision but that touches deep-rooted party dreams of slowing global warming, moderating…
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Senate approves Inflation Reduction Act, clinching health and climate bill
By Tony Romm 08/07/22
The party-line vote marks a major achievement for Democrats, after more than a year of wrangling over a centerpiece of President Biden’s economic agenda. It now awaits a vote in the House.
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The Senate has a climate deal. Now comes the hard part
By Sammy Roth 08/05/22
After decades of inaction on the climate crisis, the federal government is on the verge of enacting a sweeping plan to slash planet-warming pollution, with Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreeing late Thursday to support the…
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Manchin’s price for supporting the climate bill: a gas pipeline in his home state
By Ken Ward Jr. and Alexa Beyer 08/05/22
To accommodate the West Virginia senator, Democratic leadership agreed to legislation streamlining permits for the often-stalled Mountain Valley Pipeline and removing jurisdiction from a court that keeps ruling against the project.
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What’s in Democrats’ sweeping climate, health care and tax bill
By Justin Tasolides and Angi Gonzalez 08/04/22
After hours of debate and votes on a nearly endless stream of amendments, Senate Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping climate change, health care and tax bill that delivers on many of the…
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The Best Evidence Yet That the Climate Bill Will Work
By Robinson Meyer 08/04/22
The Inflation Reduction Act, the surprise deal that Senator Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck last week, would significantly reduce greenhouse-gas pollution from the American economy. If passed, the bill would cut…
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The Inflation Reduction Act is a Big Deal. Here’s What it Means for Birds (And You)
By Sarah Rose 08/04/22
In a move that surprised nearly everyone on Capitol Hill (including, humbly, your friendly neighborhood National Audubon Society policy and comms shops), the Biden Administration’s effort to pass sweeping climate action is back on the…
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Climate bill could spur ‘market transformation’ in home electrification
By Jeff St. John 08/04/22
Donnel Baird, CEO of BlocPower, thinks the climate bill unveiled by Senate Democrats last week could transform the country’s home efficiency and electrification markets. It could certainly boost the bottom line for his company and…
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The bean counters who may get superpowers
By Andrew Ross Sorkin 08/04/22
The Senate could vote as soon as this week on a climate and tax bill that, if passed, would hand a good deal of power to an obscure group of accountants in Norwalk, Conn. Yesterday…
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The best evidence yet that the climate bill will work
By Robinson Meyer 08/04/22
First we got the bill. Now we have the numbers.The Inflation Reduction Act, the surprise deal that Senator Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck last week, would significantly reduce greenhouse-gas pollution from…
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Electricity Is One Part of US Inflation That Congress Can Help Tame
By Nathaniel Bullard 08/04/22
We are less than a week away from the much-anticipated release of the Consumer Price Index, the key measure of US inflation, for July. As of June, US personal spending on energy goods and services…
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Experts: Cash incentives in climate bill could revolutionize US homes, 1 HVAC at a time
By Kyle Bagenstose 08/04/22
When key Senate Democrats agreed to a landmark $485 billion climate and health care bill last week, they gave it a name to match kitchen table conversations taking place across the country: The Inflation Reduction…
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Sinema, Democratic leaders reach deal on changes to health and climate bill
By Jennifer Haberkorn 08/04/22
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said late Thursday she will support moving forward with Democrats’ health, tax and climate bill, a strong sign that the party will be able to advance some of its major policy priorities…
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Democrats scramble for Sinema’s support on climate, health and tax bill
By Tony Romm 08/03/22
The senator from Arizona, a centrist fiscal hawk, previously has raised concerns with plans to revise federal tax laws.
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Senate climate deal includes NOAA spending boost
By Andrew Freedman 08/03/22
The fragile Senate climate deal would provide a funding infusion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including for its climate and weather forecasting capabilities. Why it matters: Accurate weather and climate forecasts are even…
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How the climate deal would help farmers aid the environment
By Michael Phillis 08/03/22
The climate deal reached last week by Senate Democrats could reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that American farmers produce by expanding programs that help accumulate carbon in soil, fund climate-focused research and lower the…
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Methane Reductions Sought by EPA Get Boost From Climate Deal
By Jennifer Hijazi 08/03/22
The Democratic tax-and-climate economic package announced last week includes a suite of methane directives that are set to bolster the EPA’s regulatory plans to combat a leading source of planet-warming gases.
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Deep in the Democrats’ Climate Bill, Analysts See More Wins for Clean Energy Than Gifts for Fossil Fuel Business
By Marianne Lavelle and Others 08/03/22
Although Senate leaders have included plenty of favors for the fossil fuel industry in the big climate package they hope to advance this week, most analysts have concluded these concessions amount to consolation prizes in…
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Is the Manchin deal a tipping point for CO2-heavy energy?
By David Laconangelo and Carlos Anchondo 08/03/22
The sweeping climate and energy package negotiated by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin would funnel billions of dollars to decarbonize heavy industries like steel and cement, a…
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U.S. wildfire and heat risks to get new spending under Biden plan
By David Sherfinski 08/03/22
A 700-plus-page "inflation reduction" bill moving through the U.S. Congress would steer significant new funds toward battling wildfires and extreme heat - climate change-related risks that are wreaking havoc across the country this summer. The…
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Here’s how much Congress’s historic climate bill would actually cut emissions
By Adele Peters 08/02/22
The massive new climate bill isn’t perfect. But a new analysis from think tank Energy Innovation details just what a difference it would make.
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How the new climate bill would reduce emissions
By Nadja Popovich and Brad Plumer 08/02/22
A major climate and energy package announced last week in a deal by Senate Democrats would put the United States much closer to its goal of cutting global warming pollution in half by 2030, several…
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How Biden could upend a key perception of his presidency
By Paul Waldman 08/02/22
The prevailing perception of President Biden’s policy record has been primarily about disappointment. Biden made grand promises as a candidate but found his agenda stymied in a closely divided Congress, leading to persistent political torpor…
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Democrats’ side deal with Manchin would speed up projects, West Virginia gas
By Jeff Stein and Others 08/01/22
A side agreement reached between Democratic leadership and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) as part of their broader deal on an economic package would overhaul the nation’s process for approving new energy projects, including by…
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The climate bill won’t stop global warming. But it will clean the air.
By Chris Mooney 08/01/22
The higher temperatures observed today across the world, implicated in everything from extreme heat to drought and worsening wildfires, are the result of many decades of rising greenhouse gas emissions that trap heat and warm…
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The two-week scramble that saved Democrats’ climate agenda
By Tony Romm 07/30/22
Five days after talks collapsed around Senate Democrats’ long-stalled package to combat climate change, temperatures were rising — literally and figuratively. It was July 19, and an oppressive heat wave was blanketing the United States.…
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Climate Bill ‘Transformative’ for Auto and Energy Industries
By Jack Ewing and Others 07/29/22
The $369 billion climate and tax package Democrats in the Senate proposed this week could have far-reaching effects on the kinds of cars that Americans drive, where those cars are made and how the country…
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Manchin’s Climate Bill Includes $27 Billion for a Green Bank. Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal
By Kristoffer Tigue 07/29/22
For 13 years, Reed Hundt has chased the idea of a national green bank, but to no avail. As CEO of the Coalition for Green Capital, a global incubator for green banks, Hundt has long…
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Climate experts experience an odd sensation after the Manchin budget deal: optimism
By Laura Benshoff 07/29/22
The nearly $370 billion energy and climate spending deal struck between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and conservative Democrat Joe Manchin would be the single largest federal clean energy investment in U.S. history. While it…
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Seven Key Provisions in the Climate Deal
By Elena Shao 07/28/22
The climate and tax deal announced by Senate Democrats on Wednesday would pump hundreds of billions of dollars into programs designed to speed the country’s transition away from an economy based largely on fossil fuels…
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