Chamber Hosts Economic Panel on Lieberman-Warner Climate Bill

by Bill Kovacs

As part of the Chamber’s semi-annual joint Environment & Energy and Regulatory Affairs committee meeting, the Chamber today hosted a panel discussion to better understand the potential economic impacts of S. 2191, the "Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007."

As we are headed for a floor vote on Lieberman-Warner in scarcely more than a month, and there is still considerable disagreement over the costs this bill will have on America’s economy.  At least six economic studies of the bill have already been released, and several more are on the horizon.  Many of them have different results, and we thought it would be a good idea to bring the authors together and let them defend their respective analyses.

The event was part of the Chamber’s semi-annual joint Environment & Energy and Regulatory Affairs committee meeting, and featured a keynote address by James L. Connaughton, chairman of the Council for Environmental Quality, who discussed the President’s newly-announced principles on climate change.

As we consider the Lieberman-Warner bill, we need to have more discussions like the one we had here today.  Unless we fully understand the costs this bill will have on jobs, growth, and energy supply, we cannot have a serious debate from a policy perspective. Whether you support or oppose the bill, what should be clear by the time votes are cast is the impact these new laws will have on your wallet.

Video, presentations, and the keynote address by James L. Connaughton, chairman of the Council for Environmental Quality, will be available early next week at: www.uschamber.com/environment.