Republicans blow off global warming hearing

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming is holding a hearing right now, to address climate change, energy policy, greenhouse gas emissions, and to address:

the response of the Bush administration and Congress to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

Panelists are:

Stephen L. Johnson: Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Nicole R. Nason: Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Admin.
Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr.: Attorney General, California
Martha Coakley: Attorney General, Massachusetts

You can watch it on C-Span 2 or stream it through C-Span's website.

Democrats:

   * Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Chairman
   * Earl Blumenauer of Oregon
   * Jay Inslee of Washington
   * John Larson of Connecticut
   * Hilda Solis of California
   * Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota
   * Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri
   * John Hall of New York
   * Jerry McNerney of California

Republicans:

   * James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, Ranking Member
   * John Shadegg of Arizona
   * Greg Walden of Oregon
   * John Sullivan of Oklahoma
   * Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
   * Candice Miller of Michigan

Markey, Blumenauer, Inslee, Herseth and Cleaver are there and they all made some preliminary remarks. All the chairs to Markey's left are empty.

•  Markey's giving Johnson a hard time

  If you're interested, you can watch it here:

  C-Span 2

  Real Audio direct link

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:10:31 AM PDT

  •  Global Warming Monitoring Satellites

    Under DOD and NOAA

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...

    Ironic

    by JML9999 on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:17:31 AM PDT

•  Thanks for the heads up n/t

  by JFinNe on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:17:53 AM PDT

•  Blumenaur can't get an answer from Johnson

  He asked him to name one other country in the world that's advocating the same approach to greenhouse gas emissions that the U.S. is.

  Mr Johnson demurred, dissembled, blathered. He says he's proud of an independent assessment of the EPA as being in the top ten places in the Government to work!

  Hey, great - come all ye cronies. Get a cushy job at the EPA.

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:19:18 AM PDT

  •  can't get an answer from Johnson(bush admin)

    anymore than you can get blood from a stone.

    by JML9999 on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:28:15 AM PDT

•  This is becoming a common occurence

  The GOP politicians just don't show up. I wonder how their constituents feel about this laziness, especially since we're paying their salaries.

  Are they all just back in their offices hanging out?

  by Naturegal on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:19:25 AM PDT

  •  Markey said "to be fair"

    Congress isn't in session today, so the Repblicans went home to their districts. Hmm.

    Blumenauer asked if they'd submitted any statements. Answer, no.

    by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:21:50 AM PDT

    •  maybe the Dems held this during break

      in order to have no R input?

      by dotcommodity on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 09:04:55 AM PDT

  •  A great campaign ad

    Empty Republican chairs when the discussion is global warming.

    "The republicans have gone missing on global warming. Is this what America wants?"

    by Sherri in TX on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:23:33 AM PDT

    •  "Do you have any questions Mr. Republican

      Congressman?"  (Crickets chirping).

      by bherner on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:50:20 AM PDT

    •  Repub constituents probably applaud

      their absence since they've been conditioned to believe global warming is a hoax.
      Also, their absence gives them a pat on the back from corporate donors.

      by annefrank on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:58:01 AM PDT

  •  It's a Friday - No Republicans

    You can't expect a Republican to show up on Friday in June. They have to beat the crowd to the beach or the airport.

    by FishOutofWater on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:23:50 AM PDT

•  Markey's incredulous because Johnson

  refuses to state his view on proposed legislation that would relieve EPA of its control over greenhouse gas emissions.

  Inslee's laughing at him because he seems to be unfamiliar with recent NASA research indicating an impending tipping point within 10 years. He's not reading the Federal Government's own reports!

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:28:25 AM PDT

•  I just noticed Markey's created a blog

  for the Committee he calls The Green Room.

  Welcome to the Green Room, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming blog.
  Unlike other green rooms, you won't find M&M's and soda here. But you will find the latest in science, solutions, and new questions and answers on global warming and oil dependence. You'll also be able to follow along with us as we bring in the top experts on these subjects to Capitol Hill, and as we head out on the road to see the immediate impacts of global warming and the solutions that will cut pollution and oil dependence.

  < snip >

  The American people are way ahead of the Congress on these issues. This blog will help keep you informed of our progress in catching up.  There is a huge wave building that has the potential to allow sweeping changes in the way America relates to energy consumption and global warming. Change is in the air, thanks to you.  Let's make it happen.

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:41:12 AM PDT

  •  tell him the contact ed markey part needs

    a webmaster to fix it

    by dotcommodity on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 11:12:18 AM PDT

•  The only upside...

  Is that most of these corrupt planet-hating Republicans own beachfront property.

  by kath25 on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:41:50 AM PDT

  •  A lot of people

    enjoy the coastlines and treasure them, whether they own beachfront property or not.  

    by joanneleon on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:48:45 AM PDT

    •  Duh!

      Sorry if you missed the irony...

      by kath25 on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:49:54 AM PDT

  •  or they live in the rest of the country...

    maybe in the century-long drought ridden Southwest? possibly in the monsoons mudslides and floods of the steamy 10 degrees hotter East? Maybe in the glacier deprived water-shortage driven power-station shutdown areas of the West? or the megahurricane destruction of the South? The arid sterile plains of the midwest?

    by dotcommodity on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 09:09:39 AM PDT

•  Markey's coming down hard on Nason

  for the administration's muteness, and apparent lack of interest in improvine fuel economy in vehicles.

  She's been asked if she supports the legislation that would strip the EPA of its responsibility for these issues. She says they have no official statement.

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:52:45 AM PDT

•  Inslee's deriding the administration's contention

  that voluntary action from corporations will solve the problem of C02, especially in contrast to the requirements in NCLB for fifth graders to perform up to snuff. Hypocrisy!

  Johnson blathers some more.

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 07:56:06 AM PDT

•  Blumenauer says BushCo has missed 34 consecutive

  deadlines for increasing appliance efficiency.

  GAO report. Is this true, Mr. Johnson?

  "I'll have to get back to you on that."

  Blumenauer: "Actions speak louder than words, Mr. Johnson. You and the administration aren't serious."

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:01:06 AM PDT

•  I guess there are shinier baubles

  on the recent list. Should I continue to transcribe some of this hearing? Is anyone else watching it?

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:13:22 AM PDT

  •  I keep checking in bumblebums n/t

    by donnamarie on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:27:40 AM PDT

    •  Well, it IS a rather sleepy hearing

      with all those people missing.

      Jerry Brown's talking about the obfuscation and dissembling that the Bush administration is doing, that it's a political battle, we're struggling against car manufacturers, (for example they sued Vermont for trying to adopt the CA standards), and every other state is facing lawsuits from the automobile companies for attempting to adopt CA standards.

      Lots of propaganda and manipulation in advertising a certain automobile type (SUVs) to suit a specific profit profile.

      Brown's making some good points.

      by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:32:28 AM PDT

      •  Rs were missing at the Tesla testifying on fuel

        hearing too. I was listening upstairs and welconmed the lack of R 'input', only saw later that only D's were present. No wonder it sounded rational! Mea culpa: my diary about it - Breaking! R's get Clue On CO2! was all up the creek! It was all Ds sounding rational

        by dotcommodity on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 09:13:14 AM PDT

  •  Not watching, but appreciate the updates n/t

    by Lujane on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:28:41 AM PDT

•  Where are Hall and McNerney?

  Especially the latter, as he's big on alternative energy, but this is the sort of thing I want all Democrats at, and certainly our new House members.

  by sardonyx on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:27:56 AM PDT

  •  Senate hearings get only Senators, right?

    He'll be at House hearings

    by dotcommodity on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 09:14:08 AM PDT

    •  This is a House committee

      by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 09:41:22 AM PDT

      •  Was it your understanding

        that some congressmen were hopping back and forth between multiple hearings? That might be where some of the missing Dems are.

        by lulu57 on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 09:43:57 AM PDT

        •  I checked on CapitolHearings.org

          and there were only 4 House committee meetings scheduled for today, and they share no members.

          by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 09:59:19 AM PDT

      •  doh!

        my mistakey me

        by dotcommodity on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 11:10:54 AM PDT

•  Obfuscation - Jerry Brown

  JB is right - When any member of this administration is asked a "hard" question, the answer is The administration has not taken a position on that.  I wonder if their muzzles come with the job as standard equipment.

  Keep on keepin' on, Bumbledum

  by JFinNe on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:31:27 AM PDT

•  Brown says the EPA is on 'total stall mode'

  on orders from the President, and that he'll sue them. It'll be a tough fight, and that the auto manufacturers will pay a price for their sabotage of the CA effort. He'll employ every political and legal tool in his arsenal to fight them, as long as he has the energy to do it.

  "It's no longer just Democrats, we have Republican Governors, and it's not just one party. Together we're going to take this country back from Cheney's oil mentality."

  Markey to Brown: If there's such a thing as a renewable energy source, you're it.

  by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:38:05 AM PDT

  •  Jerry Brown Ca Attorney General?

    by JFinNe on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:41:36 AM PDT

    •  Yes

      His bushy white eyebrows and shiny bald head give him a very distinctive appearance.

      by bumblebums on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 08:51:22 AM PDT

•  Thanks for this diary!

  I watched the whole hearing, it was fascinating, albeit frustrating as hell. All through this I kept thinking what a great EPA Administrator Jerry Brown would make. Then one of the congressmen asked him if he'd like the job. "No," says Brown, "I like my independence too much."

  "What you just said is very telling," says the congressman. No kidding :)

  by lulu57 on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 09:41:03 AM PDT