The Greenhouse Effect

Who are the Hill's environmental decision makers?

With a political shift toward the blue, Capitol Hill made way for green decision makers. Kevin Book, a senior analyst for Friedman Billings Ramsey, provides a look at their voting pattern.While the Democrats currently hold the committee chairs for key decisions, Republicans including Senators Susan Collins and John McCain, and Representatives Ehlers, Gerlach, Gilchrest, Johnson, Kirk, Saxton, Shays and Walsh deserve honorable mentions.

Member	Role in 110th Congress	Bias towards current Administration	Current/Past Positions
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)	Chairman, Senate Finance Committee	Mixed	Supports national renewable portfolio standard (utilities must sell a portion of their electricity from renewable energy sources), hydrogen fuel cells and tax credits for alternative fuel energy. Opposes nuclear waste storage on federal lands.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D- N.Mex.)	Chairman, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee	Mixed with Critic Tendencies	Strong proponent of national renewable portfolio standard for power generation. Supports ethanol, alternative energy tax credit extensions (including home generation/ cogeneration) and expansion of R&D tax credits for energy related research. Opposes offshore drilling.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D- Calif.)	Chair, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee	Strong Critic	Strong environmental protection record, particularly in opposition to petroleum/ petrochemical industry and coal-fired emissions legislation. Opposed to surface transport of nuclear waste.
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)	Chairman, Senate Commerce Committee	Mixed with Friendly Tendencies	Voting record and overt policy support for increasing domestic production of oil and offshore; slow to favor ethanol and not a co-sponsor of Clean Edge Act, but supports hydrogen vehicles and reduced dependency on foreign oil.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)	Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee	Strong Critic	Strong position on oil company pricegouging; supports windfall profits tax; supports reexamination of oil industry merger; supports higher fuel economy standards; led referendum on the Clean Air Mercury Rule (stringent, per-unit mercury caps on coal-fired plants).
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)	Senate Majority Leader	Critic	Co-sponsor of Clean Edge Act - increased renewable energy and alternative fleet, price gouging and anti-trust constraints. Supports national Renewable Portfolio Standard, government efficiency mandates, windfall profits taxation to fund increased refinery capacity. Opposes nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.)	Chairman, House and Ways Means Committee	Critic	Supports windfall profits tax; likely to block extension of lower dividend tax rates; proponent of extending production tax credits for renewable energy; likely to support elimination of foreign tax credits for integrated oil companies.
Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.)	Chairman, House Energy and Commerce Committee	Mixed	Proponent of strategic refinery reserve to high gasoline prices; isolationist on trade, particularly regarding China; likely to call for investigation of administrative energy policy decisions; unlikely to support a windfall profits tax.
Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.)	Chairman, House Resources Committee	Mixed	Fought hard for removal of ultra deepwater incentives.
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)	Chairman, House Judiciary Committee	Strong Critic	Supporter of windfall profits tax to add refining capacity and fund alternative fuels; proponent of new FTC anti-price gouging authority.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.)	Chairman, House Committee on Government Reform	Strong Critic	Strong climate change activist and vocal critic of integrated oil companies and refiners and supporter of incremental utility efficiency gains (1%/year).
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)	House Majority Leader	Strong Critic	Supports stripping tax incentives for oil production companies; suggests "strong policies" and "technology solutions" to air pollution and global warming; opponent of offshore drilling; opposes surface transportation of nuclear waste through California; supports windfall profits tax.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Calif.)	Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (does not possess biding authority to shape spending)	Strong Critic	Staunch advocate of increased efficiency standards for all sectors of energy consumption; opponent of oil industry tax benefits; supports windfall profits tax, alternative energy and "clean-tech"; opposes offshore drilling and power plant emissions laws.