On January 30, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) and Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) released a White Paper addressing U.S. competitiveness concerns and the need to engage developing countries with regard to climate change. They also announced that the committee will hold a hearing on these issues on February 28. A witness list is not yet available. The White Paper examines the need to encourage developing countries to curb their greenhouse gas emissions and includes an analysis of current proposals to achieve the dual goals of global emissions reductions and maintenance of continued U.S. industrial competitiveness. In the memo accompanying the paper, the Chairmen state that it is their "intention to present a final measure to the President to be signed into law before the Congress adjourns this year." Most inside observers, however, view this as overly ambitious.
This is the second in a series of White Papers related to climate change. The first paper, released in October, discussed the benefits of a cap-and-trade system and the sectors of the economy that should be included.