In a narrow vote, the House on Friday evening passed a sweeping energy and climate-change bill that supporters say could revolutionize the nation’s industrial economy.
The 219-212 vote represented a major victory for President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), both of whom invested significant political capital in ensuring the success of the measure. Obama’s administration and Democratic leaders in the House worked feverishly to cement enough support for passage.
“This is a transformative moment,” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House majority leader, said shortly before the final vote. “This is a moment to build a clean energy future for our country. This is a moment to create jobs. This is a moment to take on, at long last, a defining challenge of our time: global warming.”
There were defections on both sides: 44 Democrats voted against the bill, and eight Republicans voted for the measure.
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The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to be modified extensively.
The president praised the bill as “a bold and necessary step.”
Supporters say the legislation would stimulate the economy by creating new green jobs, encourage investment in alternative sources of power and help wean the nation off foreign oil.
Opponents say the bill would place a new tax on energy that would stunt economic growth, raise gas and electricity costs and do little to affect climate change globally.
By any marker, Friday made for a surprising achievement.
Weeks ago it appeared the bill legislation would fall victim to disagreements between environmentalists and industry, between lawmakers from rural and urban areas, and between moderate and progressive Democrats.
But this week, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, struck a deal to woo farm-state members. And Pelosi, in a gamble, decided to push the bill to the floor while a fragile consensus existed.
Before the scheduled vote, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the House minority leader, took to the floor and spoke at length in protest of a 300-page amendment that had been added to the 1,200-page bill early Friday over GOP objections.
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House climate and energy bill provisions
Reduce greenhouse gases by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a cap-and-trade program that allows buying, selling of pollution permits.
Limit emissions from major industrial sources, including power plants, factories, refineries, and electricity and natural gas distributors.
Control carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels and limit six other greenhouse gases.
Allow investments in offset projects (such as tree planting and forest protection) by companies to meet emission-limiting targets.
Require renewable-source power from electric utilities, as well as energy-efficiency savings. Utilities must produce at least 12 percent of their power from sources such as wind and solar energy by 2020.
Impose tighter standards on new coal-fired power plants and provide $1 billion a year in development money for capturing carbon dioxide from such plants.
Establish standards that will require new buildings to be 30 percent more energy-efficient by 2012 and 50 percent by 2016.
Protect consumers from rising energy costs by giving rebates and credits to low-income households.
— Associated Press