Why are Republicans Siding with Climate Scientist James Hansen on the Waxman-Markey Bill?

In a wild turn of events, republican congresspeople are siding with Climate Scientist James Hansen and environmental justice groups like WEACT for Environmental Justice that the Waxman-Markey bill isn't the right bill for fighting Climate Change. Unfortunately they may be agreeing for the wrong reasons.

James Hansen is a noted scientist and in 1998 he was the first to testify in front of Senate on the impacts of global warming. Hansen heads up the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. He has come out publicly against the bill stating it will give away too much to big coal and dirty oil without making the necessary regulations to stop climate change.

Republicans are against the bill because they fear the regulations will drive these big industries away from America and into more developing countries without the same regulations. New York Times reporter Christa Marshall, reported that Hansen's words were used by republican congressional representatives as a reason for voting "no" on the bill. Republican Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma may call Hansen to testify to the senate against this bill. This is kinda crazy because Inhofe is a senator who once came out and said "global warming is a hoax."

Although the republicans are using the science as a way to vote no on the bill, many believe they are just using people like Hansen to get no climate bill passed at all. Some democratic leaders and mainstream environmental groups are trying to downplay opponents of the bill like Hansen and hope that they can portray enough unified support over the bill to get it past into legislation. Although the bill is not perfect, it is the first real shot at any sort of regulations to halt climate change. Many supporters of the bill like policy group, 1sky fear that if we do not pass this bill this year then we may lose our window of opportunity for another 4 to 8 years. The next three years will be heavily focused on senate and then presidential elections and politicians are said to be less bold in their legislative votes during election years. Groups like Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace have come out against the bill, stating that it is too weak to make a difference and may end up creating more harm than good for low-income workers and people of color.

This debate is getting deeper and deeper but if you don't know what the heck is going on and want the quick update watch this video courtesy of the climate crisis coalition featuring Scientists and Environmental Justice Leaders on why a Carbon Tax is the way, not a cap and trade system like the one the Waxman Markey bill would create.