This week could very well be a seminal week in the history of climate change legislation.  The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which seems to be taking the congressional lead in crafting a bill, will be holding four marathon hearings on the Waxman-Markey draft bill.  Each day will be dedicated to examining a different aspect of the proposal.  Two keys things to watch for will be the warmth of the embrace from democratic members from industrial/coal/oil producing areas (Reps. Dingell, Boucher, Gordon, Gonzalez, Green, Melancon, Barrow, Matheson, Hill, Sutton) and the tone of rejection from moderate Republicans (Upton, Bono, Murphy, and Stearns).  Additionally, eyes will be on members to see how Friday’s EPA “endangerment finding” alters opinions, as many believe the “finding” will be a catalyst for legislation.

Former Vice President Al Gore, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, among dozens of other panelists, will testify in the Waxman-Markey draft bill hearings this week, which will be held in Room 2123 of the House Rayburn Building at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21; 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 23; and 10 a.m. on Friday, April 24.

While the Markey-Waxman bill hearings will make headlines throughout the week, two other hearings of importance are scheduled to take place.  On Wednesday, April 22, the Senate will hear from Todd Stern, Special Envoy for Climate Change, U.S. State Department at a hearing titled “Global Climate Change: U.S. Leadership for a New Global Agreement.”  Also testifying, in a second panel, are Helena Gayle, President and Chief Executive Officer, CARE; Ned Helme, President, Center for Clean Air Policy; and Paul Camuti, President and Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Corporate Research.  The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. in Room 419 of the Senate Dirksen Building.

Also on Wednesday, the House Science and Technology Committee will conduct a hearing on the “Monitoring, Measurement and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions II: The Role of Federal and Academic Research and Monitoring Programs.”  Witnesses include Dr. Alexander “Sandy” MacDonald, Director of the Earth Systems Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Ms. Dina Kruger, Director of the Climate Change Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, EPA; Dr. Beverly Law, Professor, Global Change Forest Science, Oregon State University; Dr. Patrick D. Gallagher, Deputy Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology; Dr. Michael Freilich, Director of the Earth Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and Dr. Richard Birdsey, Project Leader for Climate, Fire, and Carbon Cycle Science, USDA Forest Service.

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