Climate Change: Senate Proposals to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Oct. 7, 2003 |
| Report Number |
RS21581 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Larry Parker, Resources, Science, and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
A number of congressional proposals to advance programs that reduce greenhouse gases have
been
introduced in the 108th Congress. Proposals receiving particular attention would create a
market-oriented greenhouse gas reduction program along the lines of the trading provisions of the
current acid rain reduction program established by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. One bill
( S. 139 ) focuses directly on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while two others
( S. 366 and S. 843 ) incorporate carbon dioxide reduction schemes into an
overall framework to reduce pollution from power plants. This paper includes a side-by-side
comparison of the major provisions of those bills.
Under an agreement reached between S. 139 's sponsors and the Senate leadership,
S. 139 will be brought to the Senate floor this fall for debate and a vote. The sponsors
have the right to introduce an amendment to S. 139 (the only amendment allowed under
the agreement). The sponsors have announced that they will propose an amendment to their bill to
strike the second phase of the reduction program. This report will be updated if events warrant.
