Rep. Markey Projects Tech Revolution from Climate Change Legislation

At a conference sponsored by the Washington Times, Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., predicted that federal climate change legislation "would spur a technological revolution similar to the one that brought affordable satellite dishes and digital cell phones to the marketplace a decade ago," the newspaper wrote. Markey was quoted as saying: "The market-based approach in technology created a revolution for telecommunications, and it will create an opportunity in energy as well."

Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Okla., another conference participant, and the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee that is crafting the Senate version of the legislation, was quoted as saying: "What's happening here in the United States and what's happening as we speak down on Capitol Hill is all theater, preparing for [the December U.N. meeting on climate change in] Copenhagen; everything that they're doing is an effort to make it look like we're going to do something in Copenhagen." Inhofe was said to be leading the opposition to the legislation, but noted that the bill would likely clear the panel "because there are enough Democrats on the panel to vote for it."

On the Senate floor, Inhofe and another conference participant, Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., said it will likely stall. Johanns was quoted as saying: "We're going to see a bill come to the [Senate] floor for full debate, and it will get a lot of debate, but I don't see any combination of 60 senators that will pass it."