Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) thinks former Vice President Al Gore is getting star treatment from the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW).

Gore was to testify before the Senate panel Wednesday afternoon on global warming and the consequences of greenhouse emissions, following a morning appearance at a joint hearing of the House Energy and Commerce and Science and Technology committees.

Gore has become a leading activist on the issue, and his global warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” earlier this year won an Academy Award.

But Gore’s former job and recent accolades did not save him from criticism from Republicans on the EPW panel.

A press blog written by Inhofe aide Marc Morano and posted on the EPW website noted two examples of favorable treatment. First, Gore requested to make a 30-minute long opening statement, which is longer than most witnesses get. Secondly, Republicans lament that the former vice president failed to submit the testimony to the committees 48 hours prior to his appearance, as is required by committee rules. The blog noted that Republicans agreed to relax that rule to 24 hours, adding that Gore still failed to meet that deadline.

However, EPW Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) does not exactly think the treatment equates to jumping the line at Hyde Lounge in Los Angeles.

Boxer, who has proposed a tough global warming bill, told Fox News Wednesday morning that it was not unusual for witnesses to fail to provide copies of testimony prior to their appearance. She said there were four examples of Republican witnesses doing so. Boxer called the controversy “silly.”

Gore apparently submitted his testimony this morning — “mere hours” before the committee hearing, Morano wrote on the blog.

Despite the controversy, Inhofe, who is the leading global warming skeptic in the Senate, told The Hill Tuesday that he was looking forward to Gore’s testimony: “I am glad he has finally agreed to answer questions about his views. The hearing should prove to be very enlightening.”