Washington » Utah Rep. Jim Matheson voted against his party's landmark climate change bill Thursday evening, but his opposition wasn't enough to stop the controversial measure from clearing a House committee.
The bill, which places heavy new restrictions on business pollution as a way to spur growth in renewable energy, passed on a vote of 33-25. It will now be debated by other House committees, but the success of Democrats on Thursday shows that Republicans will have a tough time derailing the 900-page bill.
"When this bill is enacted into law it will break our dependence on foreign oil, make our nation the world leader on clean energy jobs and technology and cut global warming pollution," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The legislation, known as a cap-and-trade proposal, sets an overall limit, or cap, on emissions. The government sells or gives away pollution credits then creates a market. A company that pollutes less than expected could then sell its credits to a company that polluted more than expected.
Over the years, the government would lower the pollution cap forcing companies to cut their emissions. The legislation would cut pollution by 17 percent, compared to the 2005 levels, by 2020.
"The bill is historic for what it achieves, providing clean energy incentives that encourage innovation while recognizing the concerns of sensitive industries and regions in this country," President Barack Obama said in a statement shortly after the committee vote.
But Republicans call the bill a hidden tax that will harm businesses and result in much more expensive utility bills for families. And Matheson's concerns mirror those of many of his conservative colleagues.
He worries that the reduction target is overly aggressive and reliant on technological advances that may not develop. He worries the bill could result in a spike in energy costs because of new provision on trading markets. He also believes some areas of the nation may be hit harder than others, such as Utah, which is reliant on coal for most of its energy.
Matheson plans to propose an amendment that will help small refiners meet the new requirements. Small refiners, of which there are a handful in Utah, Wyoming and surrounding states, produces less than 205,000 barrels of oil a day.
"These are just some issues I'm really concerned about," he said.
But Matheson, considered by many to be a key swing vote, said he is not philosophically opposed to the ideas in the bill and believes with some changes he could support it.
"We've got to deal with our energy independence challenge and we've got to deal with our climate change challenge," he said.
Despite the disagreements, the committee rather cordially debated the bill for about 37 hours this week -- and they are not done discussing it. Waxman, the chairman, promised to continue the discussion when House members return from a weeklong break for Memorial Day.
