That Washington
PubliColaTV: Sen. Cantwell on Status of Her Cap and Dividend Proposal
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvWYXvcyfGU[/youtube]
While I had U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell at the podium this morning (post coming soon about the news conference she and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray held to hype the Democrats' small business aid bill), I took the opportunity to ask her about Cap and Trade/Cap and Dividend—something that PubliCola has has been obsessing over. And Cantwell too. She met with President Obama to pitch her climate change legislation in June and even made a funny video explaining her legislation. (Which has since been taken down .)
The Economist (which Josh affectionately termed “the most credible magazine on anyone’s coffee table,”) called her Cap and Dividend bill “a simpler, more voter-friendly version of cap and trade.” Essentially, the bill would put a ceiling on carbon emissions. Corporations in the fossil fuels biz would have to buy permits at auction, and that money would be distributed evenly among the American people—and according to Cantwell, that could mean a thousand dollars or more per year for a family of four.
So where is it now? (Her Democratic colleagues in the house, like U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, who ushered a big deal climate change bill through the House over a year ago, are getting pissy .) Cantwell says she plans to take up the fight again when they return from the August recess. She also said she’s counting on Susan Collins (R-ME) to talk some of her Republican friends into voting with them.
The punch line: Cap and Dividend will heat up in January when the EPA revises its greenhouse gases regulations.
While I had U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell at the podium this morning (post coming soon about the news conference she and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray held to hype the Democrats' small business aid bill), I took the opportunity to ask her about Cap and Trade/Cap and Dividend—something that PubliCola has has been obsessing over. And Cantwell too. She met with President Obama to pitch her climate change legislation in June and even made a funny video explaining her legislation. (Which has since been taken down .)
The Economist (which Josh affectionately termed “the most credible magazine on anyone’s coffee table,”) called her Cap and Dividend bill “a simpler, more voter-friendly version of cap and trade.” Essentially, the bill would put a ceiling on carbon emissions. Corporations in the fossil fuels biz would have to buy permits at auction, and that money would be distributed evenly among the American people—and according to Cantwell, that could mean a thousand dollars or more per year for a family of four.
So where is it now? (Her Democratic colleagues in the house, like U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, who ushered a big deal climate change bill through the House over a year ago, are getting pissy .) Cantwell says she plans to take up the fight again when they return from the August recess. She also said she’s counting on Susan Collins (R-ME) to talk some of her Republican friends into voting with them.
The punch line: Cap and Dividend will heat up in January when the EPA revises its greenhouse gases regulations.
