Energy -- A 'Moment Of Change'

December 19, 2007

by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Satyam Khanna, Matt Corley, and Ali Frick

ENERGY

A 'Moment Of Change'

Today, President Bush will sign the historic Energy Independence and Security Act, which will raise vehicle fuel efficiency by nearly 30 percent by 2020 and mandate a massive increase in the use of biofuels. The final version of the bill overwhelmingly cleared the House yesterday, after the Senate approved it last week. Though the Bush administration forced the Senate to take out important provisions mandating renewable electricity generation, providing tax incentives for clean energy, and ending subsidies to oil companies, the bill is still a major step forward in combating global warming and putting the United States on a track towards energy independence. The bill increases vehicle fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, the first congressional increase in over 30 years. By 2030, the bill will have cut U.S. oil consumption by more than four million barrels a day -- nearly twice our current import levels from the Persian Gulf -- and greenhouse gas emissions by 24 percent. American-grown biofuels will increase to 36 billion gallons by 2022. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) praised congressional leaders for their work to bring "earth-shattering change in terms of energy policy to the floor of the House." She told Congress yesterday, "You are present at a moment of change. Of real change. Of rejecting the past...and going into the future."

HUGE STEP FORWARD FOR CAFE: For the first time in 30 years, Congress raised corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for cars and light trucks, mandating an average fleetwide standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 up from today's 25 miles per gallon. After intense negotiations with Congress, car companies including General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and Toyota signed off on the measure, allowing the bill to go forward. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) forecasts that the new CAFE standards will result in a lifetime savings to car owners of roughly $4,500 and, more importantly, cut oil imports by 1.1 million barrels per day in 2020, equal to half the amount currently imported from the entire Persian Gulf. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy predicts that the U.S. will save close to two million barrels of oil per day by 2025. The CAFE standards received broad bipartisan support, with the final bill passing the Senate 86-8.

BIOFUEL IS TODAY'S MOON SHOT: In addition to the increased CAFE standards, the new energy law states "that at least 36 billion gallons of motor fuel a year should be biofuels by 2022, most of it in 'advanced biofuels,' not a drop of which are commercially produced today." "The biofuels provision is today's moon shot," said Daniel J. Weiss, the Center for American Progress's Director of Climate Strategy. Just as President Kennedy's 1961 determination to land a man on the moon created the political will and the scientific capital to make it happen, today's congressional mandate on biofuels should create a similar atmosphere of certainty that will encourage investors to pour the time, energy, and resources into developing an ethanol industry that is in "full partnership with the oil and gas industry." The law also requires that the "well to wheel" life cycle of these biofuels produce 20 percent less global warming pollution than gasoline.

FIGHTING OBSTRUCTION: A minority of senators forced the Senate to scrap two important provisions. The original version that passed the House last month required utilities to generate 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, such as wind or solar. The provision had powerful enemies, including the utility trade group Edison Electric Institute, southern conservatives, and President Bush, and the Senate was forced to drop the utility provision in order to keep the bill alive. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy predicted such a measure would have saved Americans $35 billion on energy bills through 2030. Though 59 senators voted to back it, the Senate also had to drop a tax package that would have repealed $13.5 billion in tax breaks to oil companies in order to provide economic incentives to clean energy, such as to consumers who buy plug-in hybrid cars. "With $90-a-barrel oil, why in the world do they [oil companies] need a federal subsidy?" Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said. "The oil companies now are celebrating in their boardrooms." The White House vowed to veto the tax package, even though Bush admitted two years ago, "I will tell you with $55 oil we don't need incentives to oil and gas companies to explore." "It's really unfortunate that we didn't have the renewable electricity standard or the incentives for wind and solar. But we'll fight for those another day," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said.

CONGRESS LEADS, BUSH FOLLOWS: In his 2006 State of the Union address, Bush declared that "America is addicted to oil." For six years, however, Bush and the conservative-led Congress failed to pass legislation to address America's reliance on foreign oil. Bush has hardly lifted a finger to combat global warming, refusing to join U.N. efforts to set binding emissions goals. While Bush deserves acknowledgment for signing the Energy Independence and Security Act into law today, the new leadership of the 110th Congress deserves the bulk of credit for passing this far-reaching and historic bill. As Weiss put it, "Nancy Pelosi led the touchdown drive all the way down the field, while Bush came in to kick the extra point." Bush's next step should be capitalize on this moment and grant California's request for an EPA waiver to slash global warming pollution from car tailpipes by 30 percent.

IRAQ -- PENTAGON: SECURITY PROGRESS DEPENDS ON IRAQI GOVERNMENT: Despite "significant security gains in much of Iraq, nothing has changed within Iraq's political leadership to guarantee sustainable peace," according to a quarterly Pentagon report. The report suggests that a "drop in violence won't hold unless Iraq's central government passes key legislation, improves the way it manages its security forces and finds a way to reconcile the country's competing sects." None of those steps have been taken thus far. President Bush's nominee to be assistant Secretary of Defense for international security affairs, Mary Beth Long, also criticized the Iraqi government's failure to meet legislative benchmarks. "At this time, I would give the Maliki government an 'F'," she said. The Pentagon report also notes that the "Iraqi government has made little headway in improving the delivery of electricity, health care and other essential services." Delivery of essential services is a key part of Gen. David Petraeus' strategy and will be a central component of his testimony to Congress in March 2008.

ADMINISTRATION -- FCC OVERTURNS 32 YEAR-OLD CROSS-OWNERSHIP BAN: Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) abolished the longstanding "newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership" ban that prohibits a newspaper from owning a broadcast station in the same market. The vote was 3 to 2, with President Bush's appointee chairman Kevin Martin leading the majority. Prior to the vote, a bipartisan group of 25 senators threatened to introduce legislation overriding the FCC's impending decision, saying that easing ownership rules will lead to "more industry consolidation, eliminate independent voices and degrade local news coverage." The dissenting minority on the Commission called the White-House backed decision "a Christmas present to the nation's largest conglomerates." Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said yesterday that with newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership, "there is less local news in the market as a whole and there is less competition for stories and ideas."

CIVIL RIGHTS -- HUCKABEE ONCE COMPARED 'HOMOSEXUALITY' TO 'NECROPHILIA,' FOUGHT FOR BANNING SODOMY: On CNN's Larry King Live on Monday, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee said he would "absolutely" allow a gay person to serve in his administration. "I have people who are homosexual that work for me in the governor's office," said Huckabee. Huckabee also indicated that he would not change the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Huckabee's openness towards LGBT employees may indicate that he is personally tolerant towards gay men and women, but he is still in favor of using government to discriminate against gays. Huckabee is against gay marriage, arguing that "civilization" may not survive if "what marriage and family means" is "rewritten." As governor of Arkansas, he "avidly" supported the state amendment banning gay marriage. In 1997, he requested an amendment stating "that it is Arkansas public policy to prohibit sodomy to protect the traditional family structure." Huckabee told the AP in 1992 that "homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle." In his 1998 book, Kids Who Kill, Huckabee compared homosexuality to "necrophilia."

At least four top White House lawyers -- Alberto Gonzales, Harriet Miers, John Bellinger, and David Addington -- "took part in discussions with the" CIA "between 2003 and 2005 about whether to destroy videotapes showing the secret interrogations." "Some top White House officials" reportedly voiced "vigorous sentiment" in favor of the destruction.

"Iraqis of all sectarian and ethnic groups believe that the U.S. military invasion is the primary root of the violent differences among them, and see the departure of 'occupying forces' as the key to national reconciliation, according to focus groups conducted for the U.S. military last month."

Despite "significant security gains in much of Iraq, nothing has changed within Iraq's political leadership to guarantee sustainable peace," according to a new Pentagon report. "The Iraqi government has made little headway in improving the delivery of electricity, health care and other essential services."

Ousted U.S. attorney Bud Cummins has called on Justice Department communications director Brian Roehrkasse to step down, contending that he "did more than perhaps any other DOJ official to disseminate the avalanche of untruths" in the U.S. attorney scandal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2007 for "taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability." Runners-up include Al Gore, J.K. Rowling, and Gen. David Petraeus.

"Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) is threatening to withhold support for legislation making technical corrections to the 2005 highway bill if it does not require a 'full and open' investigation into the now-notorious Coconut Road earmark" of Rep. Don Young (R-AK).

Yesterday, Congress "struck back at the Bush administration's trend toward secrecy since the 2001 terrorist attacks, passing legislation to toughen the Freedom of Information Act and increasing penalties on agencies that don't comply."

"A recent decline in U.S. news coverage from Iraq coincides with improved public opinion about the war, according to a new Pew Research study released yesterday." A three percent drop in coverage between June and October of 2007 accompanied a 14 percent increase in optimism about the war.

"U.S. military commanders in Iraq didn't know Turkey was sending warplanes to bomb in northern Iraq until the planes had already crossed the border." However, the Air Force Times reports that Air Force-bolstered intelligence likely fueled the Turkish jet strikes.

And finally: Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift? There's the National Counterterrorism Center's 2008 weekly planner, which contains fun facts such as Osama bin Laden's birthday (July 30) and that Dec. 19 is the date "Libyan-trained Abu Sayyaf Group leader Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani died in a gunfight with Philippine authorities on Basilan island." Available "only to folks inside the anti-terrorism community."

The research team that brings you The Progress Report and ThinkProgress.org needs spring interns! Click here for more information.

"Congress struck back Tuesday at the Bush administration's trend toward secrecy since the 2001 attacks, passing legislation toughening the Freedom of Information Act and increasing penalties for noncompliance."

FLORIDA: "A federal judge blocked enforcement of a state law that prevents people from registering to vote if officials cannot match their Social Security or driver's license numbers to federal or state databases."

SOUTH DAKOTA: "South Dakotans trying to outlaw most abortions in the state filed a proposed initiated law Friday that includes exceptions for rape, incest and the mother's health."

NEVADA: Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) "released a plan for cuts to state agencies including higher education -- before students had a chance to deliver an anti-cut petition to the governor."

MICHIGAN: Anti-union Right to Work interests have their targets set on Michigan.

THINK PROGRESS: Dennis Prager's hypocrisy: Mitt Romney's religion shouldn't matter, but Rep. Keith Ellison's (D-MN) religion "undermines America."

TPM ELECTION CENTRAL: Adviser "clarifies" Mike Huckabee's comparison of homosexuality and necrophilia: they're both "aberrant behavior," but not exactly the same.

RAW STORY: Fox News pundit claims MoveOn.org is to blame for Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) move to the right.

MEDIA BLOODHOUND: The New York Times buried the story of Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-CT) successful filibuster of retroactive immunity for telecoms.

"I can tell you that of course we are coordinating with the Turkish and Iraqi authorities in the area. The PKK is a threat to Turkey, to Iraq, and to the United States. So we continue to share information, share intelligence, with them (Turkish and Iraqi authorities)."
-- White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, 12/18/07, on Turkish incursions in northern Iraq

VERSUS

"The Iraqi government, however, said it had not been consulted or informed about the attacks."
-- New York Times, 12/18/07

Think Progress

A 'Moment Of Change'

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