The

Climate Change, Anthropocene, & Associated Issues

Date posted: 01/29/10

"To retain respect for sausages and laws, one must not watch them in the making." - Otto von Bismarck As is often the case with legislation in the U.S. Congress, it takes a crisis to pass it. Absent a handy crisis, a looming Congressional recess can usually provide the necessary motivation to get legislation to the floor for a vote. That is what happened before Congress left for its July 4 holiday, with the House of Representatives narrowly passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 by a vote of 219 to 212. Forty-four Democrats voted against it and eight Republicans voted in favor. The Waxman-Markey bill, as it's often referred to, is named for its primary authors, Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Energy and Environment subcommittee chairman Edward Markey (D-Mass.).