House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY)
announced the committee will hold a hearing focused on tax policy options for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions on Sept. 18.
A number of proposals have been
referred to the Ways and Means Committee in the 110th Congress (e.g., H.R. 2069 - The Save Our Climate Act of 2007 (Rep. Pete Stark, D-CA); H.R. 6316
- The Climate MATTERS (Market, Auction,
Trust & Trade Emissions Reduction System) Act of 2008 (Rep. Lloyd Doggett,
D-TX); H.R. 3416 - The America's Energy
Security Trust Fund Act of 2007 (Rep. John Larson, D-CT), and H.R. 6186 - The Investing in Climate Action and
Protection Act of 2008 (Rep. Ed Markey, D-MA)).
Although the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee has
primary jurisdiction over climate change legislation, Members of other
committees, including Ways and Means, have expressed interest in being more
actively engaged in the climate change debate.
This hearing is evidence of that interest.