Reply From Congressman Barney Frank

From Congressman Barney Frank --

Thank you for writing me to express your concerns about global warming. I agree with you that Congress must take strong action to reduce our output of carbon emissions, as well as other harmful pollutants, and find reasonable alternatives to them. The prospect of global climate change as a result of these pollutants is one of the most pressing environmental problems we face. Working to address this problem is a top priority for me, and in the previous Congress I cosponsored and voted for several bills that will take positive steps on this issue.

I was an original cosponsor of H.R. 620, the Climate Stewardship Act, which would create national emission caps and institute other measures to reduce harmful greenhouse emissions. I strongly support and cosponsored H.R. 1590, the Safe Climate Act, introduced by my colleague Congressman Henry Waxman, which would set achievable goals for reducing greenhouse gases.

I also cosponsored and voted for H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This important bill, as you may be aware, passed the House by a vote of 314 to 100 and was subsequently signed into law. I am pleased that the energy bill included higher corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for cars and light trucks. This is the first such CAFE increase in 22 years. Specifically H.R. 6 requires cars and light trucks sold in the United States to meet a fleet wide fuel economy average of 35 miles a gallon by 2020. This new standard will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and will cut production of gases that cause global warming. Additionally, the bill mandates that at least 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels be incorporated into gasoline annually by 2022. It also establishes new efficiency requirements for household appliances and government buildings, and aims to dramatically improve the efficiency of light bulbs within the next decade.

While this legislation did not include tax subsidies for alternative energy sources, the House considered a separate bill focusing on these issues late last year. Specifically, the House passed and I voted for legislation called the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008. This bill, which was introduced by my colleague Congressman Charles Rangel, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, would have ended unnecessary subsidies to oil companies, and taken positive steps towards combating global warming by extending federal tax credits for renewable energy, such as wind and solar, as well as many energy efficiency programs. Unfortunately, the Senate did not act on this bill.

I am pleased that President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have made addressing climate change a high priority, and I look forward to working with them to reduce global warming. Additionally, I am pleased that we increased energy efficiency and renewable energy usage in the recently enacted economic recovery legislation. I am glad that the new law contains funding for energy related programs such as upgrading the nation's electrical distribution system, tax credits to promote the development of alternatives to fossil fuels, and funding to make homes more energy efficient. Additionally, I support Speaker Pelosi's timeline to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation out of Energy and Commerce Committee by Memorial Day. I strongly believe that we must take immediate action to reduce global warming and our dependence on foreign oil. I share this sense of urgency and believe that we cannot afford further delay.

Thank you again for contacting me.

BARNEY FRANK BF/JN