Velázquez Pledges Small Biz Voice In Energy Bill
May 4th, 2009 | By Dawn R. Rivers | Category: TechnologyIt’s only May but I think it’s safe to say that one epithet that no one will be able to apply to the 111th Congress is “Do Nothing.” It’s almost as if the folks at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, having followed the marriage counselor’s advice, suddenly find they can work together again and it has gone straight to everybody’s heads. When you think about it that way, it’s really rather romantic, isn’t it? As we have seen, health care reform is top-of-mind for a lot of people. Another very front burner issue is energy policy, as lawmakers turn their attention to the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.
Last week, the House Small Business Committee met to discuss climate change solutions for small businesses and family farms. The agricultural representatives expressed strong concern about making sure that any cap and trade system includes a mechanism to offset cost increases with income opportunities. Committee Republicans expressed concern that all of this was much ado about nothing, being unconvinced that global climate change was actually occurring. And Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) expressed her own concern about making sure that the voice of small business is not lost in the hussle and bustle as the legislation moves forward.
