Waxman sees momentum for Hill climate action early next year

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) today said President Obama's decision to attend next month's international climate talks in Copenhagen will help push forward congressional action in early 2010.

"The President’s leadership means there is now a path for reaching a successful agreement on core principles in Copenhagen. And a successful international meeting at Copenhagen will provide the momentum and direction needed for congressional action early next year," Waxman said in a statement.

Waxman is coauthor of the climate bill the House approved in late June. A similar bill is moving slowly in the Senate, where backers face several hurdles to reaching the 60 votes needed to advance the measure.

The timing of Senate action remains unclear. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently said he plans to bring a bill to the floor in the spring.  Yet chairmen of the various committees of jurisdiction don't all see eye-to-eye on scheduling.

The White House today said the U.S. will offer a provisional domestic emissions-cutting target of 17 percent by 2020 in Copenhagen, which mirrors the 2020 target in the cap-and-trade bill the House approved. The Senate could end up with a different number.

"The debate is not completed yet in the Senate. When the debate is fully completed then we will adjust accordingly," White House climate czar Carol Browner said earlier today.