The GOP contingent on a Senate environmental committee will boycott a hearing aimed at moving a bill limiting carbon emissions toward final passage next week.
Environment and Public Works Committee chair Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has scheduled a markup hearing on the cap-and-trade bill for Tuesday. The markup process is a key step before a bill leaves committee on its way to an eventual floor vote. All seven Republicans on Boxer’s committee, led by ranking member Sen. James Inhfe (R-OK) will not attend Boxers hearing, and will instead hold a separate shadow hearing of their own focused on slowing down the cap-and-trade bill.
CongressDaily (sub. req.) reports on the GOP’s reasons for the boycott:
Republicans want EPA to do a full analysis of the bill and have CBO weigh in as well. Further, they want more time to look at the bill. Boxer has defended the process, noting she unveiled a revised Kerry-Boxer cap-and-trade bill Oct. 23, which exceeds the three-day notice required under panel rules. She also has cited three hearings this week on that bill and previous hearings by the panel on the general subject. Republicans counter that Democratic demands for additional analysis delayed a markup three times on a GOP “Clear Skies” bill before it fell on a 9-9 vote in March 2005.
