http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-doniger/first-read-of-the-waxman_b_181838.htmlCongressmen Henry Waxman and Ed Markey today released their long-awaited "discussion draft" of the American Clean Energy and Security Act - a bold starting point for passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation through Congress this year.
Release of the draft starts an eight-week sprint to negotiate and adopt a bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which Rep. Waxman chairs. Waxman and Markey (head of the key Subcommittee on Health and the Environment) have pledged to complete work on a bill by Memorial Day. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised action by the full House of Representatives later this year.
The draft bill draws heavily on recommendations of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, the business-environmental coalition that supports enacting climate legislation this year. It is also consistent with the legislative principles announced last week by the labor-environmental Blue-Green Alliance. NRDC is a member of both groups.
Here's our first read of the details of this important and bold draft legislation, compiled with the help of NRDC's crack team of energy and climate experts. First, some top-line observations:
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