Lawmakers Oppose House Emissions Plan

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., right, accompanied by Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, June 1, 2007 to discuss global warming. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Susan Walsh - AP)

WASHINGTON -- Opposition mounted among House Democrats on Thursday to an energy proposal that would block California and 11 states from regulating tailpipe emissions.

At a hearing on a comprehensive bill that would increase mileage standards for vehicles and promote alternative sources of energy, a number of Democrats said they would try to defeat the emissions plan. It would limit state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate them.

That idea "is cutting the legs out from under the states just as they are starting to sprint forward on carbon pollution regulation," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., already has announced her opposition.

Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., said she would propose removing the emissions plan from the overall bill next week. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., released a letter signed by a dozen Democrats opposed to the proposal from Rep. Rick Boucher, who heads a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.

The subcommittee hearing dealt with the wide-ranging energy legislation that would require the auto industry to meet gas mileage standards of at least 36 miles per gallon for passenger cars after 2021 and 30 mpg for trucks after 2024.

The legislation would create a low-carbon fuel standard, promote renewable fuels, fund research for advanced vehicles and push the auto industry to boost production of vehicles running on alternative fuels such as ethanol.

California has asked the Bush administration for permission to put in place a state law that would cut greenhouse gas emissions, mostly carbon dioxide, by 25 percent from cars and 18 percent from sport utility vehicles beginning in 2009. At least 11 other states are ready to follow California's lead.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and the governors of Arizona, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington released a letter to Boucher on Thursday stating their opposition to his plan.

"Congress must not deny states the right to pursue solutions in the absence of federal policy," they wrote.

Boucher's proposal would prevent the EPA from issuing a waiver needed for a state to impose auto pollution standards "designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Reps. John Dingell, D-Mich., the committee chairman, and Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, the top Republican, both support Boucher's approach. Their stand could set up a potential fight in the full House with Pelosi if the plan advances from the committee.

Without Boucher's emissions proposal, Dingell said chaos would ensue because auto companies would need to comply with separate requirements from states and two different federal agencies _ the Transportation Department and the EPA. He said it would create "vast gridlock."