Fight Over Global Warming Bill to Heat Up This Fall

(Aug. 24) -- The simmering Washington debate over global warming is set to heat up this fall, fueled by environmentalists' determination to squeeze climate-change legislation from the current Congress and the oil and gas industry's fervent and cash-laden response.

The oil industry spent $75 million lobbying the federal government from January to June, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which monitors lobbying and campaign spending, and the industry next month plans to fund a series of "citizen rallies" against proposed responses to climate change.

The financial onslaught on Capitol Hill came as the Senate was struggling with a package of energy measures that included a reduction of greenhouse gases akin to those in a bill passed by the House last year. Ahead of the August recess, Democratic leaders all but gave up the goal of mustering a filibuster-proof majority for the bill, though they may try to bring it to the floor in the fall.

That's a huge disappointment for environmental interest groups, who have also mobilized. Last year, at the height of the legislative fight over climate change, they spent $22.4 million on federal lobbying efforts, the Center for Responsive Politics said. That's a record for the movement, and twice the average it spent annually from 2004 to 2008.

Still, oil and gas companies responded in 2009 with a $175 million lobbying offensive.

Since environmentalists this year have come up with only $10.3 million for lobbying, they have been outspent in the current Congress by 7 to 1.

"In other words, Goliath whipped David," the center's Evan Mackinder wrote.

But with two more oil-related bills still in the works -- both in response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico -- and environmentalists still hoping to revive the climate change bill, the two sides are regrouping for another round.

"The Senate's inability to pass meaningful clean energy and climate legislation has serious consequences for our environment and our economy," said Franz Matzner, legislative director for climate policy at the National Resources Defense Council.

The council has set up a ticker tallying the tons of greenhouse gas emitted, among other statistics, since Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced July 22 that the climate bill wouldn't be brought to the floor for debate. The campaign, including broadcast ads in several states, targets six moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats whose votes, the group claims, would make the difference.

At the same time, the American Petroleum Institute is rolling out the "citizen rallies" starting Sept. 1 in Texas.

It plans to continue painting measures that would limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as threats to the economy, arguing gas-emission penalties are akin to tax hikes and that any emphasis on wind power or other renewable energy sources will mean lost jobs for the oil and gas industries.

"We will be running print, radio and television ads during the coming weeks to emphasize our energy and economic reality: oil and natural gas power economic growth and job creation," petroleum institute President Jack Gerard said at a news conference last week.

"We have major concerns about both" the Senate proposals and the bill passed by the House, he said.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is moving forward with its own rules aimed at setting limits on carbon emissions for factories and power plants.

The Environmental Protection Agency this month said it is proposing new rules aimed at speeding its requirement that businesses intent on building new operations or expanding existing ones get Clean Air Act permits that address their greenhouse gas emissions.