WHAT CONGRESS IS CONSIDERING ON CLIMATE CHANGE
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
In 1965, the city of Portland, Oregon, reached an unfathomable temperature: 107 degrees. That record stood for more than 50 years, until this week, when it was broken three times. (108 degrees on Saturday, 112 degrees on Sunday and 116 degrees on Monday.)
Amid the heat dome setting records across the usually temperate Northwest, there has been an early and deep drought, and a report this week on a leaked international climate paper said that it had concluded that the effects of climate change are coming more quickly and intensely than expected. Without intervention, they could lead to irrevocable disaster.
So on that note, we thought it a good time to look at what Congress is doing to tackle climate change.
Methane gas regulation: Congress gave final passage to a bill restoring an Obama-era rule that limits methane gas emissions from energy plants. It reverses the Trump administration’s block on the rule. Status: The bill is now awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature.
CLEAN Future Act: Perhaps the most aggressive bill to tackle climate change, the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act is the lead proposal from House Democrats. Among its sweeping provisions, the bill would require 80 percent of electricity be “clean” by 2030 and 100 percent clean electricity by 2035, offer rebates for electric car purchases, and spend billions on new school buses. The bill aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent of 2005 levels by 2030. Status: The bill has been introduced by the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and has hope in the House. In the Senate, it faces a far more difficult path. One political positive, though, is that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has opposed aggressive climate goals in past legislation, has stayed neutral on this bill.
Growing Climate Solutions Act: This bill has a narrow focus — helping farmers voluntarily join carbon markets, with the goal of rewarding those who work to lower emissions and use more environmentally friendly techniques. Status: This is a bipartisan bill that has already gotten through the tougher chamber, the Senate. It is narrowly focused but that helps its chances of getting to Biden’s desk.
Climate Risk Disclosure Risk Act: Focused on changing policy via shareholder action, this bill requires companies to disclose more about their risk or threat exposure in regard to the climate. Status: This passed the House in June and is standing in a long line for consideration in the Senate.
The bipartisan Senate infrastructure plan: Crafted by five Democrats and five Republicans, the bipartisan Senate framework for immigration currently contains $7.5 billion for building more electric charging stations and some $15-$60 billion for trying to mitigate the already occurring effects of climate change, from coastal erosion to shifting weather patterns. Status: This bill is the focus of many efforts and has survived a difficult initial process so far, but it has yet to be written into formal legislation, much less make it through either chamber. It has a chance of passage, but the path there remains tricky.
Democrats’ upcoming reconciliation bill: Democrats likely have one last large chance to pass broad legislation this year, using reconciliation to push it through without Republican support. It will come in a yet-to-be-named bill that is likely to incorporate aspects of the president’s proposed American Families Act and American Jobs Act. And with that could come significant climate legislation. This is a must-watch space, to see how much climate action ends up in whatever package starts to coalesce with Senate Democrats.
Note from Lisa: This is the last edition of Here’s the Deal that will be edited by the excellent Emily Knapp. She has been a trusted and eagle-eyed editor who was the force behind every edition of this newsletter since the early pandemic and who made the newsroom better. Thank you Emily from your HTD family and we wish you all good things ahead.
FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Geoffrey Lou Guray, @glguray
Politics producer
Antitrust Overhaul Passes Its First Tests. Now, the Hard Parts. July 24. Several proposals aimed at checking the power of American tech companies cleared the House Judiciary Committee last week. But with some Democrats and Republicans crossing party lines for those committee votes, it’s unclear whether the bills will have the support needed to clear the full House. Why it matters: The proposals, if enacted, would spur a historic change in federal antitrust laws: They would make it easier for regulators to break up tech giants, while also making it harder for those companies to absorb competitors. -- The New York Times
Gov. Greg Abbott is using a disaster declaration to help fund a border wall. Democrats say it’s an overreach of executive powers. June 23. While Democrats argue that Abbott is encroaching on the state legislature’s spending powers, Abbott announced that $250 million in already appropriated state funds will be reallocated toward border wall construction. Why it matters: After the Biden administration pulled federal funds from border wall construction, Republicans in Austin and Washington, D.C., have continued to sharply criticize the president, and with Abbott expected to join former President Donald Trump for a border visit this week, it’s clear the fight over immigration will play a big role in next year’s midterms, when Texas will be filling two new legislative seats gained in the recent census. -- The Texas Tribune
Police accountability advocates disappointed by deal at Minnesota Capitol. June 27. During negotiations over a must-pass budget bill, Minnesota lawmakers agreed to add a measure that would bulk up oversight of no-knock warrants, but also ended up leaving out several other policing changes raised by reform advocates. Why it matters: Lawmakers finalized the deal in the immediate aftermath of Derek Chauvin’s sentencing in Minneapolis for the murder of George Floyd, and two months after the police killing of Daunte Wright in nearby Brooklyn Center. While negotiations were ongoing, the GOP leader in the state Senate said that his caucus would not support measures they saw as “anti-police.” -- Star Tribune
Federal judge halts Black farmers’ debt-relief program in new legal blow. June 23. A George W. Bush appointee in Florida became the second judge to freeze loan forgiveness payments under the program while litigation continues. Why it matters: The program, which had been expected to distribute a total of $4 billion in aid to farmers of color, is a key racial equity initiative in the broader $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan that Biden signed into law in March. The program was meant to counter the negative economic effects of discrimination, but legal challenges are preventing that aid from reaching its targets. -- The Washington Post
Flush With Federal Cash, States Invest in Their Crowded Parks June 23. The $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan assigned billions of dollars in aid to state governments, many of which have, in turn, set aside substantial sums for park maintenance and upgrades. Why it matters: State parks, whose budgets are often the first cut during economic downturns, are now on the receiving end of “absolutely unprecedented” investments after handling record crowds during the pandemic. -- Stateline
#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch
Politics associate producer
Earlier this month, Congress passed a bill that President Biden signed into law declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday, now one of 12. On this day in 1870, Congress established the first four federal holidays.
Our question: Can you name the first federal holidays?
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: How many New York City mayors have gone on to run for president?
The answer: In total, five New York City mayors have gone on to mount White House bids. That includes the three most recent city executives — outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg both competed in the 2020 Democratic primary, and Rudy Giuliani ran in the 2008 Republican contest. In 1972, former Republican Mayor John Lindsay campaigned for the Democratic Party's nomination. Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr., ran for president as a Democrat in 1904 while still in office.
Congratulations to our winners: Tom Holston and Jackie Austin!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
