Boehner dares Pelosi to act on Rep. Markey climate bill

Looking to seize on a potential conflict within the Democratic Caucus, House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio) called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Wednesday to bring global warming legislation to the floor.

{mosads}In a letter to the Speaker, Boehner encouraged her to seek debate on a global warming plan recently unveiled by Select Committee on Energy Independence Chairman Edward Markey (D-Mass.).

Boehner wrote that he regarded its provisions as “reckless and inappropriate” because of the potential cost to consumers but that he was hopeful legislation in some form would come to the floor.

The less-than-rousing endorsement of the Markey plan illustrates that Boehner is looking to capitalize politically on the tensions that may reignite with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.). Pelosi created the Markey-led panel over Dingell’s objections at the beginning of the 110th Congress.

Markey’s spokesman dismissed the letter and added that a paragraph stating that Pelosi had failed to meet a July 4, 2007 deadline for climate change legislation was incorrect, and that Pelosi had been referring to the Energy and Security Act of 2007, which was passed into law last year.

“This letter is nothing more than a stunt,” said Eben Burnham-Snyder, a spokesman for Markey. “It’s a misreading of what Pelosi said last year, it’s a non-reading of our bill and ignores the fact that everyone wants a good discussion on global warming and climate change.”

{mosimage}Boehner spokesman Michael Steel shot back, “If that legislation was the climate change bill, why have Rep. Markey and the rest of the Speaker’s hand-picked committee labored so mightily to develop the bill that he introduced [this week]?”

He added, “Rewriting history will not lower gas prices for the American people.”

Jodi Seth, a Dingell spokeswoman, said that Dingell “intends to release a bill of his own at the earliest possible time. He welcomes contributions to the debate from all members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, including Mr. Markey.”

Pelosi’s office welcomed Boehner’s involvement.

“The Energy and Commerce Committee and its members are taking the lead in developing climate change legislation in the House,” said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill. “This is an extremely complicated issue, and we will continue to move forward as quickly as possible, regardless of the outcome of the current Senate debate.”

He added, “We welcome Republican involvement on the climate change issue … As the climate crisis is an issue of global importance, everyone needs to be involved in finding bipartisan solutions.”