House GOP’s ‘Pledge’ vows opposition to climate legislation

Republicans seeking to win back the House are vowing to block climate change legislation in the next Congress while expanding domestic energy development.

That’s part of the message in the broadly worded policy blueprint – called “A Pledge to America” – that House GOP leaders unveiled Thursday.

The reference to energy policy is brief, noting only that, “We will fight to increase access to domestic energy sources and oppose attempts to impose a national ‘cap and trade’ energy tax.”

But with the GOP expected to make major gains in the mid-term elections, it underscores the tough climb that any climate change bills would face in the next Congress regardless of which party holds the gavel.

The House approved a sweeping cap-and-trade and energy bill, 219-212, last year, but climate legislation collapsed in the Senate this summer, and even a scaled-back version was not brought up for a vote.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson acknowledged Thursday that broad climate legislation is not currently in the cards, and said the Obama administration is weighing next steps.

“[W]e have sort of lost the opportunity, at least for right now, on comprehensive legislation,” she said in an interview with The Hill.

Daniel Weiss of the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund quickly attacked the GOP blueprint after its release Thursday.

“’Increase access to domestic energy sources’ is code for ‘drill, baby, drill,’” he said in a blog post. “The GOP support for more offshore oil drilling after the BP Gulf of Mexico disaster exposed its deadly risks contradicts, rather than reflects, public opinion.”