Misplaced Pages

#101898

103-505: The bill was also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill , after its authors, Representatives Henry A. Waxman of California and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts , both Democrats . Waxman was at the time the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee , and Markey was the chairman of that committee's Energy and Power Subcommittee . The bill proposed a cap and trade system, under which

206-709: A bachelor's degree in political science in 1961 and a J.D. degree from UCLA School of Law in 1964. After graduating, he worked as a lawyer. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 1968, and served three terms. Along with U.S. Representative Howard Berman , whom he studied with at UCLA, Waxman co-founded the Los Angeles County Young Democrats . In 1974, Democratic U.S. Representative Chet Holifield retired after 16 terms in Congress. Waxman gave up his state assembly seat to run for

309-453: A 'Yes' vote, and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) delayed resigning the House to vote for the legislation as well. The bill was approved in the House by a vote of 219–212, with 8 Republicans supporting, and 44 Democrats voting against, and 3 members not voting. All representatives present at the time of the vote had cast votes. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), and John Sullivan (R-OK) missed

412-637: A D.C.-based lobbying firm, Regent Lecturer for University of California, Los Angeles, and lecturer at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health . Waxman was born to a Jewish household in Los Angeles, California, the son of Esther (née Silverman) and Ralph Louis Waxman. His father was born in Montreal, Canada; his mother was from Pennsylvania. All of his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. He attended college at UCLA , earning

515-415: A Democrat had yet been defeated. At 3:47   am on June 26, 2009, H.Res. 587 was reported to the house, which amended H.R. 2454, adding to the bill. This resolution was passed in the house just hours later at 11:21   am. Republicans complained that neither the public nor the representatives were given adequate time to study the 310-page amendment. Markey refuted Rush Limbaugh 's assertion that

618-682: A Democratic position." Waxman supported fellow representative Jane Harman during her primary challenge from Marcy Winograd when Winograd said she would support a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, instead of the two-state resolution endorsed by Waxman and Harman. Saying it suffers from "a culture of corruption" and "has become obsessed with secrecy," he accused the American government of having abandoned these values. "(The) Republican leadership ignores presidential rules and norms and has no consideration for custom," he said. Waxman

721-614: A bill to the U.S. House that would lift the ban on federal money for subway tunneling in the district. This bill passed the House via unanimous vote on September 20, 2006. Waxman, as the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, oversaw the case of Solyndra , a solar company that filed for bankruptcy after receiving a $ 535 million loan guarantee from the DOE. Waxman recounted meeting with Solyndra's CEO two months before they filed for bankruptcy, who assured him that "Solyndra’s future

824-400: A cap-and-trade system, "would lose a direct revenue stream of hundreds of millions of dollars if the federal plan were passed." The three existing regional carbon cap and trade programs, which were in varying states of development, would likely be merged into the national plan, since "the federal 'cap-and-trade' plan pre-empts any similar state scheme from 2012 to 2017." However, ACES left states

927-543: A carbon tax rather than a cap and trade system. Alternatively, Senators Maria Cantwell and Susan Collins introduced the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act . This bill proposed a cap and dividend approach in which 75% of the revenue is returned to taxpayers in the form of a dividend, and the rest is used to fund to development of renewable energy. News agencies Reuters and Agence France-Presse and United Kingdom newspaper The Guardian reported

1030-452: A close vote. On the day of the vote, Democrats were still working to ensure they had the votes needed to pass the bill. Republicans tried to pull back their proposed amendments, realizing they were giving the Democrats more time to corral votes, however, they were unable to pull their proposed amendments off the floor. Shortly before the vote, John Boehner read aloud to the House from most of

1133-536: A comprehensive plan to restore and conserve wildlife, and to educate the public about the restoration and conservation of wildlife. The first annual meeting of the General Wildlife Federation began on March 1, 1937, in St. Louis , Missouri, bringing together over 1,200 delegates. As keynote speaker , Agriculture Secretary Wallace recognized the federal government's role and responsibility to restore and conserve

SECTION 10

#1733086338102

1236-519: A garbage dump for many years; National Wildlife Federation cleaned up and rehabilitated the land before moving into the site in 2001. On Earth Day 2002, National Wildlife Federation was given an award by the American Institute of Architects for its Reston headquarters being one of the Top Ten "Green" Projects. The National Wildlife Federation is involved in many environmental issues, particularly in

1339-463: A government watchdog group, presented Waxman with its Good Government Award for his various contributions to government transparency and oversight. On the day after the 2006 elections, Waxman directed his aides to draw up an "oversight plan" for the panel. He had already let it be known that he wanted to investigate Halliburton , as well as its alleged malfeasance related to government contracts in Iraq . It

1442-580: A plan that still faces hurdles" The article noted that representatives from members of the Eastern U.S. 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative , the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord , which joined six U.S. states with Canada's Manitoba, and the 11-state-and-four Canadian province Western Climate Initiative were supporting the legislation, even though the Eastern market member states, which had already been operating under

1545-565: A reduction of no more than 0.2° Celsius . Economist Arnold Kling said the bill "maximizes rent-seeking (favoritism toward particular businesses) and minimizes carbon reduction". Other economists argued that the bill would create significant financial costs. The Wall Street Journal accused the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of significantly underestimating the bill's ultimate costs, pointing out supposed flaws in its calculations. The Wall Street Journal also suggested that

1648-483: A time when the world is looking to the U.S. for leadership on climate change." Critics of the bill were concerned about it not going far enough, and claimed that there were too many concessions made to special interests in rewriting the bill. Thus, making the bill weak and potentially harmful to the economy and environment. Dr. James E. Hansen , one of the first to warn about the risks of climate change and an advocate of taking related action, also argued strongly against

1751-795: A variety of wildlife magazines, including magazines for children, Ranger Rick , Ranger Rick Jr. and Zoobooks , as well as adult-oriented National Wildlife ; and by producing the Backyard Habitat series on Discovery's Animal Planet , along with IMAX films, such as Coral Reef Adventure , India: Kingdom of the Tiger , Bears , and Dolphin Reef . Additionally, NWF offers hands-on training and support for habitat restoration through its Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Schoolyard Habitat programs. National Wildlife Federation created Conservation Summits (a harbinger of eco-tourism and green living trends) with

1854-407: A vote of 33–25, largely falling along political party lines. Republicans proposed over 400 amendments to the bill, the majority of which many think were proposed to delay passage. Some of the more prominent from both parties are listed below: By the end of May 20, 2009, 2 Republican and 24 Democratic amendments had been adopted. 15 Republican amendments had been defeated. No amendment sponsored by

1957-638: A yearly teleconference series, memberships, and is part of the Energy Action Coalition, helping to fund the Coalition in its infancy. Since 2000, the Campus Ecology program has awarded over 100 fellowships on more than 65 campuses to undergraduate and graduate students working on sustainability projects. In 2006, the fellowship program shifted focus exclusively to student projects that focus on clean energy initiatives and conservation efforts. In 2007,

2060-420: Is a step in the right direction in the fight against dangerous climate change and for developing cleaner, more secure energy resources." David Jenkins, REP vice president for government and political affairs, noted that "Doing nothing is not an option. The costs and risks of failing to limit greenhouse gas emissions are too high. We owe it to our country and to our country's future citizens to take action. Today,

2163-528: Is an American politician and lobbyist who was a U.S. representative from California from 1975 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party . His district included much of the western part of the city of Los Angeles, as well as West Hollywood , Santa Monica , and Beverly Hills , and was numbered the 24th district from 1975 to 1993, the 29th district from 1993 to 2003, and the 30th district from 2003 to 2013, changing because of redistricting after

SECTION 20

#1733086338102

2266-469: Is better than a carbon tax . He explained how the incentives work Even when polluters get free permits, they still have an incentive to reduce their emissions, so that they can sell their excess permits to someone else. That's not just theory: allowances for sulfur dioxide emissions are allocated to electric utilities free of charge, yet the cap-and-trade system for SO2 has been highly successful at controlling acid rain. Tia Nelson testified in support of

2369-581: Is expected to take a large toll on wildlife in the region, and NWF is working to help people understand and minimize the impacts. The Northeast Regional Center works mostly with state-based affiliates and local organizations to protect natural resources in New England. Its goals are to provide conservation leadership and protection for wildlife for generations to come. The Northern Rockies and Prairies Regional Center, located in Missoula, MT, focuses on protecting

2472-523: Is located in Boulder, Colorado, and focuses on protecting public lands and wildlife of the American West. It also concerns itself with protecting and restoring wildlife habitat on tribal lands, strengthening protection for critical migratory bird habitat, providing training and resources to educators and homeowners, and promoting environmental education in the community. The Gulf States Regional Center focuses

2575-561: Is very likely that he could also investigate the numerous scandals surrounding Jack Abramoff . This led to concerns among Democratic aides that the Government Reform Committee under Waxman would stage a repeat of the committee's performance under the Clinton administration , when it issued over 1,000 subpoenas. However, Waxman told Newsweek that he is interested in accountability and not retaliation. In 2009, he began serving as

2678-504: The Los Angeles Times , Waxman cites the 2005 study: "The panel concurred as well that in 1985, the decision to hold further tunneling in abeyance was prudent, given the circumstances and extent of information and technology at that time. Much has changed since then to significantly improve tunneling and operation safety." In 2005, a robust real estate market, multi-dwelling construction boom, and lack of public mass transit planning on

2781-868: The 1990 , 2000 , and 2010 censuses. Waxman was an influential liberal member of Congress , and was instrumental in passing laws including the Infant Formula Act of 1980 , the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 , the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, the Clean Air Act of 1990, the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990, the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the State Children's Health Insurance Program of 1997,

2884-584: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee , the principal investigative committee of the House. He was the committee's ranking Democrat from 1997 to 2007. In 1998, while he was still ranking member, he created a "Special Investigations Division" to investigate matters that he felt the full committee had neglected. This was possible because the committee has broad powers to investigate any matter with federal policy implications, even if another committee has jurisdiction over it. He has also harshly criticized

2987-646: The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. In 1985, he played an instrumental role in banning federal funding for the Red Line subway in Los Angeles so that it would not go into his affluent Westside district. He is currently chairman at Waxman Strategies,

3090-515: The Red Line subway after a methane gas explosion in the Fairfax District . Prior to that, Waxman had privately expressed concerns about "gentrification" of his affluent district. Waxman maintains that the 1985 bill was sponsored in the interest of public safety and not, as some allege, to hinder access of the working classes in South and East Los Angeles to his affluent district. In a letter to

3193-508: The Republicans for Environmental Protection caucus. With no prospect of overcoming a threatened Republican filibuster, the bill was never brought to the floor of the Senate for discussion or a vote. The table below summarizes the required greenhouse gas emission reductions, with the benchmark of the 2005 emission levels. Henry Waxman Henry Arnold Waxman (born September 12, 1939)

American Clean Energy and Security Act - Misplaced Pages Continue

3296-660: The Sierra Club . The League of Conservation Voters threatened to withhold endorsements from any representative who votes against the bill. In addition to environmental organizations the Energy and Commerce Committee received letters of support from a broad range of organizations, including the United Auto Workers , Exelon , General Electric , Dow Chemical Company , Pacific Gas and Electric Company , and DuPont . The New York Times noted that "industry officials were split, with

3399-742: The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen . The Guardian US environment correspondent noted that ACES passing the US House of Representatives "delivers an important boost to the prospects of reaching an agreement for international action on climate change at Copenhagen this year." The New York Times noted that "the German chancellor, Angela Merkel , who was in Washington on Friday to meet with Mr. Obama, strongly endorsed

3502-594: The United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers opposing the bill and some of the nation's biggest corporations, including Dow Chemical and Ford , backing it." The Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP), a national grassroots organization, issued a press release after the vote stating "House passage today of the American Clean Energy and Security Act

3605-456: The "gems of the Pacific," the wildlife species that depend on these habitats in Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii are also diverse and among the most treasured by people throughout the world. NWF works hard to protect these habitats for the benefit of all wildlife and people—focusing especially on the protection and restoration of threatened and endangered species such as salmon. Climate change

3708-666: The 24th (1975–1993) to the 29th (1993–2003) to the 30th (2003–2013) to the 33rd (2013-2015). At the time of his retirement, he was one of the last two members, along with George Miller of California, of the large Democratic freshman class of 1975. From 2003 to 2013, Waxman's district included Santa Monica , Beverly Hills , Agoura Hills , Calabasas , Hidden Hills , Malibu , West Hollywood , and Westlake Village , as well as such areas of western Los Angeles as West Los Angeles , Fairfax , Pacific Palisades , Brentwood , Beverlywood , Topanga , Chatsworth , Palms , Westwood , West Hills , Westside Village , Woodland Hills , but through

3811-548: The 300 page Manager's amendment that was filed at 3:09   am on the day of the vote. He voiced opposition to the practice of changing bills in the middle of the night before the vote, and concern that the manager's amendment made substantial changes to the bill. He did not want the House to vote on the bill before the members could learn what was in the amendment, so he read much of it aloud. Manager's amendments are supposed to be for clerical changes only, not substantive ones. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) returned from rehab to cast

3914-504: The Campus Ecology program launched the first Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming web broadcast. This annual event takes place each April. The webcast highlights winners of the NWF Chill Out competition and has an interactive panel of climate experts and student videos. Eco-Schools is a program that provides a framework to help educators integrate sustainable principles throughout their schools and curriculum. In December 2008,

4017-786: The Certified Wildlife Habitat program, the criteria include providing food, water, cover, and places to raise young through the use of native plants and other features such as nest boxes and water gardens. The habitat can be certified by the NWF as an official Certified Wildlife Habitat site if these elements are provided. The Campus Ecology program promotes climate leadership and sustainability among colleges and universities by providing resources, technical support, networking opportunities, and by organizing education events. Campus Ecology provides case studies on various environmental projects that can be implemented on college and university campuses,

4120-526: The Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee , after defeating Chairman John Dingell in a 137–122 secret vote of House Democrats on November 20, 2008. Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming once described Waxman as being 'tougher than a boiled owl.' Waxman is proud of his "strong Jewish identity" and has drawn political conclusions from his exploration of the religion. "Judaism is about acting and doing

4223-589: The Clean Air Act to counter emissions of greenhouse gases. Environmental organizations critical of the bill said the bill fell short by allowing for 85 percent or more of pollution permits to be given away free of cost to the electricity sector. A coalition of environmental groups released a statement saying that "to craft a bill that allows for 2 billion tons of offsets per year—roughly equivalent to 27 percent of 2007 U.S. greenhouse gas emissions—is to allow for continued and dangerous delay in real action by our country at

American Clean Energy and Security Act - Misplaced Pages Continue

4326-487: The Congressional Budget Office indicated that the program would be deficit-neutral and would cost households an average of $ 175 per year. The legislation would set a cap on total emissions over the 2012–2050 period and would require regulated entities to hold rights, or allowances, to emit greenhouse gases. After allowances were initially distributed, entities would be free to buy and sell them (the trade part of

4429-478: The Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in 1995, Waxman was a powerful figure in the House as chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the Environment from 1979. In this role, he conducted investigations into a range of health and environmental issues, including universal health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, AIDS, and air and water pollution. In 1994, Waxman forced

4532-484: The Great American Campout to camp and reconnect with nature. Previously known as the "Great American Backyard Campout," it was expanded in 2015 and renamed the "Great American Campout" to encourage more types of camping and engagement in the great outdoors. The spokesperson for the 2015 Campout was Nick Offerman , best known for playing Ron Swanson on NBC's Parks and Recreation . Apart from its headquarters,

4635-719: The Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition in the "Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives" campaign. It focuses on the eight states, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and Michigan in the Great Lakes region. The Pacific Regional Center in Alaska focuses on global warming, renewable energy, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, sustainable tourism , and youth education in Alaska. Additionally, it works to preserve existing wildlife in Alaska, such as

4738-468: The House looked to the future and did the right thing for our economy, security, and environment." The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated the discussion draft version of the bill to cost average households $ 98–$ 140 per year. A preliminary update of this study said that the changes "would likely result in lower allowance prices, a smaller impact on energy bills, and a smaller impact on household consumption." Economist Paul Krugman argued for

4841-481: The House, declaring "June 26, 2009, will go down as an historic moment in world's efforts to tackle climate change. For the first time, a Congressional body passed legislation that would place mandatory limits on the emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming." It was reported that the passage of ACES in Congress would increase the likelihood that a successor to the Kyoto Protocol would be adopted at

4944-724: The Mid-Atlantic. The office has developed an aggressive plan to protect and restore the national treasures of the region, working with a team of experienced national and regional policy and advocacy experts. The Office also actively educates and mobilizes hunters, anglers, gardeners and other wildlife enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic to support climate solutions at all levels of government. The Great Lakes Natural Resource Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan focuses on global warming, Great Lakes restoration, Great Lakes water resources, Great Lakes water quality, Certified Wildlife Habitats, and wolves. It leads

5047-664: The NWF runs ten regional offices across the United States. The Chesapeake Mid-Atlantic office works with affiliates and partners across the region of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay; the Delaware River Watershed; the Appalachian forests, rivers and flyways; and the extensive shoreline and coastal bay habitats of

5150-538: The NWF was granted Eco-School host status for K-12 schools in the United States. Through school-based action teams of students, administrators, educators and community volunteers, Eco-Schools USA combines effective "green" management of the school grounds, the facilities and the curriculum. Every year, as part of Great Outdoors Month, the National Wildlife Federation encourages people to gather in their backyards, neighborhoods, communities and parks and join

5253-646: The National Wildlife Federation in 1938. The numbers of members of this Federation increased from 2.3 million in 1968 to 4.1 million in 1974 due to active "cause marketing" efforts. The common agenda for National Wildlife Federation is to increase America's fish and wildlife population and expand their capacity. It also aims to protect wildlife habitats by restoring damaged habitats which include protected lands, working lands, waterways, coasts, and communities. The common agenda includes transforming wildlife conservation by advancing wildlife management and fighting for issues such as climate change and wildlife diseases. Lastly,

SECTION 50

#1733086338102

5356-624: The Republicans for ignoring their "constitutional responsibility" to conduct oversight over the government. On March 16, 2004, at Waxman's request, the Committee on Government Reform Minority Office published "Iraq on the Record, the Bush Administration's Public Statements on Iraq", a detailed and searchable collection of 237 specific misleading statements made by Bush Administration officials about

5459-481: The United States, specifically through updates to programs and policies including food safety, clean air, HIV research, and the social safety net. In Waxman's honor, Maher introduced a segment titled "The Baldy Awards", to recognize the achievements of Waxman and other "work horse" politicians. Articles National Wildlife Federation The National Wildlife Federation ( NWF ) is the largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization in

5562-493: The United States, with over six million members and supporters, and 51 state and territorial affiliated organizations (including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands). On March 10, 1934, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace appointed political cartoonist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling to be the chief of the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey. Darling asked Congress repeatedly to fund environmental conservation work around

5665-452: The allowances will be allocated directly to local distribution companies (LDCs) who are mandated to use them exclusively for the benefit of customers. 5% will go to merchant coal generators and others with long-term power purchase agreements . A study in June 2009 by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicated that the bill would be roughly deficit-neutral for the government over

5768-487: The areas of land stewardship, air quality, water resources, and wildlife conservation. Areas of concern include Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , the bald eagle , climate change , Everglades , the grizzly bear , wolves , polar bears and the Canada lynx . The " Backyard Wildlife Habitat " program was started in 1973 with the purpose of showing people how to make their yards and their community friendly to local wildlife. Now

5871-423: The availability and cost of prescription drugs, and the right of communities to know about pollution levels. As an example of Waxman's thoughts regarding tobacco, on April 13, 2010, he requested that Major League Baseball ban smokeless tobacco in all its various forms - snuff , dipping tobacco , chewing tobacco , snus , etc. With the Democrats' victory in the 2006 midterm elections , Waxman became chairman of

5974-600: The bill because he considered the bill "watered-down". Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) voted against the bill because he considered the bill "too-weak" and opposed offsets, among other similar criticisms. Republicans supporting the bill were Army Secretary nominee John M. McHugh and moderate Republican Main Street Partnership caucus members Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Mike Castle (R-DE), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Chris Smith (R-NJ). Kirk and Castle were members of

6077-481: The bill even though it fell short of European goals for reducing the emissions of heat-trapping gases." The bill was offered as a "discussion draft" in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on March 31, 2009. A final version of the legislation was introduced on May 15, 2009, by the same title, assigned bill number H.R. 2454 . On May 21, 2009, the bill passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee by

6180-468: The bill in September 2009, while attacking the bill's opponents: "It's important, then, to understand that claims of immense economic damage from climate legislation are as bogus, in their own way, as climate change denial . Saving the planet won't come free (although the early stages of conservation actually might). But it won't cost all that much either." During May 2009, he argued that a cap and trade system

6283-424: The bill on April 24, 2009. Criticism focused on ultimate costs and benefits of the plan. A report written for The Heritage Foundation , a conservative think tank, on the discussion draft of the bill claimed that the economy would react to this cap-and-trade system like it would lead to an energy crisis. This same report also claimed that the impact on global temperature by the end of the 21st century would amount to

SECTION 60

#1733086338102

6386-455: The bill was not available at all, saying the bill was available to read on the Internet and at the reading clerk's desk since the 3:47   am reporting. Speaker Nancy Pelosi scheduled the vote for June 26, 2009. The week leading up to the vote was marked by courting moderate Republicans and on-the-fence Democrats from rural and coal districts to support the legislation in what was expected to be

6489-473: The bill's costs would disproportionately affect lower-income households, for which the CBO estimates did not account. The New York Times reported that the bill's provisions to levy tariffs on Chinese imports due to carbon emissions could provoke a trade war. The Competitive Enterprise Institute argued that the bill was essentially the "largest tax hike in world history". The American Petroleum Institute , representing

6592-464: The bill: 1) It restricted the EPA's ability to regulate CO 2 emissions from power plants; 2) it set "meager" targets for emission reductions, with only a 13% reduction by 2020; 3) it lacked certain controls important to the trading of allowances to emit carbon; and 4) it failed to set predictable prices for carbon, making it harder for businesses and households to make investment decisions. Dr. Hansen advocated

6695-514: The caribou. The Pacific Regional Center in Alaska hosted the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action program from 1998 through 2011. AYEA, which is now a program of Alaska Center for the Environment , trains young people to be environmental leaders. The landscapes along the Pacific Coast are among the most diverse in the country. From the desert to the coastal rainforests, and from Puget Sound to

6798-406: The chief executives of the seven major tobacco companies to swear under oath that nicotine was not addictive. Waxman's stated legislative priorities are health and environmental issues. These include universal health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, tobacco, AIDS, air and water quality standards, pesticides, nursing home quality standards, women's health research and reproductive rights,

6901-437: The common agenda is to connect Americans with wildlife by informing the world about the issues that are occurring, specifically by inspiring the next generation of conservationists and support legislation that advocate to save wildlife. The National Wildlife Federation is a pro-hunting organization that advocates “connecting young children to hunting.” National Wildlife Federation seeks to educate people of all ages by publishing

7004-508: The conference, Darling spoke passionately about the contamination of the United States' environmental resources, which he said had resulted from years of neglect. Darling criticized people who considered themselves conservationists but whose actions were limited to hanging a bird feeder and subscribing to an outdoors magazine. Darling said that true action was required in order to reverse the damage that had already occurred. Darling encouraged voting against political candidates who refused to help

7107-663: The country, but Congress did not do so. Frustrated with the lack of funding to preserve and reestablish wildlife, Darling resigned from the position in late 1935. At Darling's request, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt convened the North American Wildlife Conference in Washington, D.C., with the goal of uniting individuals, organizations, and agencies interested in the restoration and conservation of wildlife resources. The North American Wildlife Conference took place between February 3 and February 7, 1936. With over 1,000 individuals in attendance, there were people from every U.S. state as well as one from Canada and one from Mexico. At

7210-428: The creation of a new 33rd Congressional District by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, in the November 2012 general election, Waxman won re-election in an area including his home community of Beverly Hills and stretching to Malibu and Pacific-coastal communities heading south, including Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and Northwest San Pedro. Before

7313-466: The district, which had been re-numbered from the 19th to the 24th in a mid-decade redistricting. Waxman won the Democratic nomination for the district, and easily won the general election, as this was tantamount to election in this heavily Democratic district. He was re-elected 17 times, with no substantive opposition. He faced no major-party opposition in 1986, and was completely unopposed in 2008. His district changed numbers four times in his tenure — from

7416-468: The electricity generated by nuclear power required the purchase of far fewer allowances than other forms of electricity generation; that the bill provided various types of financial support to build clean energy generating sources, including nuclear; and that an EPA study indicated that twice as many nuclear plants would be built if the law was passed versus the status quo. There was criticism that unless China and India adopted similar emissions standards,

7519-415: The environment. At the conference on February 5, 1936, an organization called the General Wildlife Federation was created. Darling was elected the organization's first president, and its first vice presidents were former Senator Frederic C. Walcott , L.T. Quinn, and William L. Finley . The mission of the group was to organize all parties interested in restoration and conservation of wildlife, to develop

7622-938: The first Summit on July 20–25, 1970 at the YMCA of the Rockies, Rocky Mountain National Park , Colorado. There have been 111 Summits since 1970, with notable environmental educators, naturalists, authors, and artists such as Robert Michael Pyle , Jim Halfpenny, Roger Tory Peterson , Clare Walker Leslie, Annie Tiberio Cameron, and National Wildlife Federation's 33-year employee and Chief Naturalist Craig Tufts (1946–2009) all on faculty at many Summits. Week-long Summits have been held most frequently in Colorado, North Carolina, and New York, but also in Wisconsin, California, Maine, Washington, Wyoming, Utah, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and other locations. The NWF changed

7725-685: The fish and wildlife resources of the northern Rockies and their habitats. It covers the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Idaho and works with state affiliates, individuals, and other groups to advocate for endangered species and public land management policies, and to increase public awareness. It has a strong interest in the Yellowstone ecosystem and runs a program to retire livestock grazing allotments that experience chronic conflict with wildlife, and on compensating ranchers for retiring their allotments. The Rocky Mountain Regional Center

7828-513: The free allowances were allocated, and how any proceeds from selling allowances were used. That net impact would reflect both the added costs that households experienced because of higher prices and the share of the allowance value that they received in the form of benefit payments, rebates, tax decreases or credits, wages, and returns on their investments." In other words, while a cap and trade system imposes costs on high emitters, it can generate revenues for low emitters that sell permits to them. While

7931-502: The fuel efficiency standards in the "cash for clunkers" provision of the bill, because new cars would only need to get 22 MPG to be considered fuel efficient. New SUVs and pickup trucks would only need to get 18 MPG to be considered fuel efficient. Vehicles older than 25 years were not eligible for the program. CNN reported that "One of the biggest criticisms is that it's not very environmentally friendly." The New York Times noted that "while some environmentalists enthusiastically supported

8034-775: The government sets the bar on emission levels, the market determines who gains and who loses. The bill was supported by a number of environmental organizations including, the Defenders of Wildlife , the Alliance for Climate Protection , the Environmental Defense Fund , the National Wildlife Federation , The Nature Conservancy , the Audubon Society , the Natural Resources Defense Council and

8137-412: The government would set a limit (cap) on the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted nationally. Companies then buy or sell (trade) permits to emit these gases, primarily carbon dioxide CO 2 . The cap is reduced over time to reduce total carbon emissions. The cap-and-trade program proposed by the legislation would reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions while generating revenue. A study by

8240-486: The impact on global climate would be insubstantial. This was largely an argument based on the leading role these two countries had obtained in carbon dioxide emissions which could reach 34% of the global total by 2030. Critics also noted that the bill would create the largest market in carbon in the world. It would also "open up the so-called 'sub-prime carbon' market in carbon offsets , whereby industries can claim emissions reductions by investing in various projects around

8343-452: The legislation, others, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth , opposed it." Friends of the Earth, an international environmental organization, announced its opposition to ACES as they believed the bill was too weak. They cited support from Shell Oil Company and Duke Energy as evidence of the bill's shortcomings. They also objected to the removal of the EPA's existing authority to use

8446-454: The middle quintile, about $ 235; and in the fourth quintile, about $ 340. Overall net costs would average 0.2 percent of households' after-tax income. The analysis did not attempt to quantify the environmental benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions . The report also stated that the "net financial impact of the program on households in different income brackets would depend in large part on how many allowances were sold (versus given away), how

8549-486: The multi-state and territory region of Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Iowa, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and attempts to restore clean rivers and estuaries, conserve wetlands, springs, and natural river systems, protect wildlife populations, and promote sustainable land and water use. Like the overall NWF, it tries to educate children and adults about

8652-477: The name to Family Summits in 2000. In 2006, several longtime Summiteers formed a non-profit corporation, Family Summits, Inc., to take over the project; they continue the tradition under the name Family Nature Summits . National Wildlife Federation's headquarters is located in Reston, Virginia , overlooking a wildlife sanctuary . The land they now occupy, on the border of Reston and Lake Fairfax Park , had been used as

8755-485: The narrow passage of the "historic" legislation in the House, regarding the vote to be a "major" and "hard-fought" victory for President Obama, while an Associated Press article, carried by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , reported the vote to be "a triumph for [the] U.S. President." The New York Times commented that "the House legislation reflects a series of concessions necessary to attract

8858-464: The nation's environmental resources. Said Wallace, "It is necessary to readjust our perspective and devote a much larger proportion of our interest to the subject of life itself. Every form of life has value and interest of some sort; even the most insignificant creatures may be found to exercise the most profound influence upon mankind." The General Wildlife Federation sponsored National Wildlife Restoration Week, which began on March 20, 1938. The week

8961-688: The natural world as well. Located in Washington DC, the National Advocacy Center focuses on policy issues, grassroots outreach, law, government affairs, and media, to advance the NWF's national and international agenda. It focuses on Congress and other decision-making bodies to ensure environmental legislation is drafted and passed. National Wildlife Federation's 51 affiliates are autonomous, grassroots organizations, conserving America's natural resources and protecting America's wildlife heritage. Affiliates establish NWF conservation policy and elect

9064-410: The next decade: enacting the legislation would increase revenues by $ 873 billion over the 2010–2019 period and would increase direct spending by $ 864 billion over that 10-year period. In total, CBO and JCT estimate that enacting the legislation would reduce future budget deficits by about $ 4 billion over the 2010–2014 period and by about $ 9 billion over the 2010–2019 period The study also indicated that

9167-451: The option of resuming trade of pollution credits after 2017 and "would allow holders of RGGI allowances to convert them into federal allowances, which means the states will likely hold auctions until the federal plan begins. Citizens Against Government Waste named both Reps. Waxman and Markey the May 2009 Porkers of the month for "adding and altering provisions to placate special interests and buy

9270-520: The petroleum and natural gas industry, said the bill would place "disproportionate burden on all consumers of gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, propane and other petroleum products", and by 2035, it would cause gasoline prices in excess of $ 4.00 per gallon by today's standards. Nuclear power plants generate minimal greenhouse gases, yet one critic wrote that the bill did not sufficiently advocate this clean power source. In response to this criticism, House of Representatives staff members wrote that

9373-534: The program). Those entities that emit more gases face a higher cost, which provides an economic incentive to reduce emissions. Key elements of the bill include: Alternative compliance payments were $ 25/MWh in violation of the standard, adjusted for inflation beginning in 2010. The bill's cap-and-trade program allocates 85% of allowances to industry for free, auctioning the remainder. The revenue from these allowances will be used to finance conservation of tropical forests abroad and to support low-income households. 30% of

9476-696: The right thing, not simply believing in it or mindlessly following ritual," he said in a speech presented by the University of Southern California 's Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life. Waxman said he applies Jewish ethical values to his congressional service. He further said that the "Jewish values" of "human rights, social justice, and equal opportunities ... are synonymous with American values," and that such values "are in my opinion closer to

9579-400: The support of Democrats from different regions and with different ideologies. In the months of horse-trading before the vote Friday, the bill's targets for emissions of heat-trapping gases were weakened, its mandate for renewable electricity was scaled back, and incentives for industries were sweetened." Business Week emphasized its perceived significance of the legislation and its passage in

9682-451: The tax burden on individual households would be limited: the net annual economy-wide cost of the cap-and-trade program in 2020 would be $ 22 billion—or about $ 175 per household ... households in the lowest income quintile would see an average net benefit of about $ 40 in 2020, while households in the highest income quintile would see a net cost of $ 245. Added costs for households in the second lowest quintile would be about $ 40 that year; in

9785-463: The threat posed by Iraq. It contains statements that were misleading based on what was known to the Administration at the time the statements were made. It does not include statements that appear mistaken only in hindsight. If a statement was an accurate reflection of U.S. intelligence at the time it was made, it was excluded even if it now appears erroneous. In 2006, Project On Government Oversight,

9888-545: The vote due to "a family conflict", travel abroad in Albania, and "alcohol addiction treatment", respectively. Democratic votes against largely came from freshmen in Republican-leaning seats, conservative "blue dog" democrats , as well as Democrats from areas dependent on coal for electricity or areas with large numbers of manufacturing jobs. However, some Democrats from liberal districts, like Pete Stark (CA) voted against

9991-416: The votes of appropriately skeptical members of Congress". While the Environmental Defense Fund and many other environmental organizations strongly supported the bill, other environmentalists sharply criticized the legislation as too weak and called urgently for it to be amended so as to include additional and more vigorous measures to protect climate and natural resources. Some environmentalists criticized

10094-509: The westside caused by Waxman's bill resulted in gridlock throughout Waxman's district. At the request of Los Angeles Mayor and LA Metro Board President Antonio Villaraigosa , Waxman agreed to lift the ban if a panel of five engineers found tunneling under the Miracle Mile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard to be safe. In October 2005, the panel decided that tunneling was possible, and on December 16, Waxman responded by announcing he would introduce

10197-420: The world that theoretically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) claimed it was virtually impossible to verify whether carbon offsets represented real emissions reductions. " On June 26, 2009, Reuters reported that "[s]tates that have set the U.S. agenda on addressing greenhouse gas emissions are lining up behind a federal climate bill, fearing signs of dissent would weaken

10300-464: Was bright with sales and production booming." Waxman was accused of being involved with the Solyndra loan by Darrell Issa . Waxman responded, saying he had no involvement in the selection of the loan. Once hailed in the media as a "lobbyist's worst nightmare," Waxman became a successful and influential lobbyist when he opened his own firm after retiring from Congress. In 1993, a news clip of Waxman

10403-625: Was devoted to establishing government responsibility for restoration and conservation of wildlife; establishing standing environmental committees in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives ; securing adequate funding for the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries ; establishing cooperative wildlife research funded by excises taxes already being paid by hunters and fishermen; establishing governmental jurisdiction over preventing pollution and misuse of waterways; and enforcement of federal and state laws that protect wildlife. The General Wildlife Federation became

10506-531: Was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment , which places limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act . Instead of this version, it was reported that many Democrats supported a version that would find "common ground." In 1985, Waxman sponsored a bill supported by affluent homeowners groups in his district to ban federal funding for

10609-428: Was used for the movie And The Band Played On , and in 2021, Waxman was praised by television host Bill Maher on his HBO Talk Show Series Real Time with Bill Maher . In discussing the concept of political "work horses", as compared to "show horses", Maher described Waxman's legislative achievements and emphasized that Waxman's tenacity and low public profile as a "work horse" allowed him to effect substantial change in

#101898