Pirate's Cove

Democrats know they have to figure a way to push through this scam garbage through, because they will lose the mid-terms. If Republicans had any brains, instead of living in their D.C. bubble, they’d push hard for legislation saying that any Democrat who sponsors, cosponsers, supports, and/or votes of climate bills has to practice what they preach. No government paid for fossil fueled travel. AC set to 80 in their offices. Almost no lights in their offices, no meat allowed, and so much more

Democrats push for climate deal as time runs short

Democrats are scrambling to secure a deal to mitigate climate change as their window for an agreement is rapidly closing.

Key lawmakers say they’re still working to sell Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on a slate of clean energy tax credits and a fee on methane emissions.

And the stakes are particularly high amid high fuel prices, a Supreme Court ruling that curbed the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate powers and the growing threat of climate change itself.

For months, lawmakers have been negotiating a package that would seek to limit climate-warming emissions, lower prescription drug costs and raise taxes on high-income individuals.

But with the August recess looming, lawmakers are seeing their time run short.

Oh, good, climate garbage that will drive the cost of energy higher, which means the cost of goods and services will also jump higher. Which doesn’t hurt the rich folks who vote for this, just the lower and middle classes.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) told reporters on Tuesday that he is still working with Manchin on a program aimed at cutting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

He said that the two sides had reached a “pretty good agreement” a few months ago, and added, “We’re looking at it now, tweaking it a little bit.”

Methane is a potent source of planet-warming emissions, with 25 times the impacts of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. It’s also the main component of natural gas, which is used in electricity generation and home heating.

I’ll agree that methane needs to be reduced. It is considerably more potent than CO2, and it doesn’t have the double effect. Yet, this is not the right time to do it.

Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said he believes the essence of his panel’s clean energy tax credits are still “intact.” In particular, he said a “neutral” approach that would give credits to various kinds of emissions-reducing technologies is still in play.

“A new system based on technological neutrality — not picking winners and losers — and making sure that in the future, the bigger your emissions reductions the bigger your tax savings — I believe are still in good shape.”

In other words, it will pick winners and losers. Or, just f**k everyone.

In terms of a timeline, Manchin told reporters this week that Democrats have until Sept. 30 to hold a vote. That’s the day that a budget resolution allowing them to pass legislation with just 50 votes expires.

So, they’d have to play that game. They would, though, have to put it through lots of offices which will release what the true costs are. At least true by D.C. standards, which means way more costly in Reality Land.