Rahall joins newly-formed coal caucus worried about climate bill

A caucus of coal state lawmakers has picked up a valuable member: the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) said Thursday he had joined the newly formed caucus of coal-state lawmakers who have largely opposed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) signature climate change bill.

Rahall, a senior Democrat who voted against the House climate bill last June, on Thursday came aboard the bipartisan Congressional Coal Caucus that launched Monday with six members.

It has since grown to 43 members (26 Republicans and 17 Democrats), according to the office of co-founder Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).

"This effort can help those of us in leadership, especially in the majority, rally the troops and watch our flank by sharing information on issues critical to coal and coal mining jobs. I encouraged my fellow coal-state members to move forward with a revived caucus and joined them to substantiate the cause,” Rahall said in a prepared statement.

Nearly all the members opposed the cap-and-trade plan that the House narrowly approved in June, although caucus members Rick Boucher (D-Va.), John Murtha (D-Pa.), Zack Space (D-Ohio) and Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) voted for it.

The caucus is designed to “give coal-states a forum to highlight their priorities and present a unified voice,” Capito said in launching the group Monday.

Update: A Capito aide emphasized that the caucus has taken no official position on climate legislation.

This post was updated on January 29 at 10:42 a.m.