House passes climate-change bill

WASHINGTON — In a triumph for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed sweeping legislation Friday that calls for the nation's first limits on pollution linked to global warming and aims to usher in a new era of cleaner, yet more costly energy.

The vote was 219-212, capping months of negotiations and days of intense bargaining among Democrats. Only eight Republicans joined 211 Democrats in favor, while 44 Democrats joined 168 Republicans in opposition.

Republicans overwhelmingly argued it would destroy jobs in the midst of a recession while burdening consumers with a new tax in the form of higher energy costs.

The House's action fulfilled Speaker Nancy Pelosi's vow to clear major energy legislation before July 4. It also sent the measure to a highly uncertain fate in the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid said he was "hopeful that the Senate will be able to debate and pass bipartisan and comprehensive clean-energy and climate legislation this fall."

Obama lobbied recalcitrant Democrats by phone from the White House as the House debate unfolded across several hours, and Al Gore posted a statement on his Web site saying the measure represents "an essential first step towards solving the climate crisis." The former vice president won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work drawing attention to the destructive potential of global warming.

Utah Reps. Jim Matheson, a Democrat, and Rob Bishop, a Republican, both opposed the measure, but for somewhat different reasons.

Matheson said, "The two great energy issues our generation faces right now are domestic energy security and climate change. These issues deserve our active attention, and they deserve action. Unfortunately, the bill we are considering today does not appropriately address these issues."

"This energy bill will result in unfair regional wealth transfers," he said. "The one-size-fits all renewable electricity standard is not the right approach to address climate change."

Bishop slammed the proposal as "plain and simple a national energy tax. It will hurt our economy, kill jobs, and raise costs for all of us. President Obama, when he was a candidate, actually described this bill best when he said that under his plan 'electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.'

"The goal of this bill is to intentionally raise utility costs. It represents the largest tax increase in American history and is a massive increase in government interference and mandates on our lives and communities."