Washington, DC (November 21, 2008)- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced she would reauthorize the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming for the 111th Congress. Chaired by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), the panel held over 50 hearings on the impacts of climate change in many sectors, from national security to job creation. While the committee does not have legislative authority, its role is “to investigate, study, make findings, and develop recommendations on policies, strategies, technologies and other innovations, intended to reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign sources of energy and achieve substantial and permanent reductions in emissions and other activities that contribute to climate change and global warming.”
With Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) replacing Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) as chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, it was unclear to many if the Select Committee was still necessary, given Rep. Waxman’s strong support for reducing US emissions. In response, Speaker Pelosi said, “We do have need for one more term because their work is not finished. We don’t have the climate change legislation that I had hoped we might be closer to at this point.” She added, “The committee serves [as] a tremendous intellectual resource for me.”
Related Resources:
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming 110th Congress Report
Politico- Pelosi Will Re-establish Climate-change Panel
Sustainable Business- Congressional Update on Climate Change