Congress is -- is what? How do you fill in the blank? Polarized? Dysfunctional? Flat-out broken? How about trying "Bipartisan." Sure, bipartisanship is rare these days, but here's our point: When members of Congress work toward cross-party solutions, they should be recognized and applauded. Thankfully, we have evidence for it in our own political backyard, and beyond.
Maria Cantwell, Democratic senator from Washington state, and Lisa Murkowski, Republican senator from Alaska, have joined forces to craft a bill to update our nation's energy policy: the Energy Policy Modernization Act. Never mind that energy is among the most divisive issues of our time; they've worked hard as chair (Murkowski) and ranking member (Cantwell) of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to research the issues, hold hearings and draft a policy that received broad-based support from that committee. Notably, after an overwhelming vote to pass the bill out of committee, the few dissenters were split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. We applaud the achievement of getting EPMA through the U.S. Senate, and the senators who made it happen. Murkowski and Cantwell deserve our appreciation for their hard work, and respect for their bipartisan effort in a challenging political environment.
There is a lot to like in the EPMA. It would increase energy efficiency in buildings, upgrade the grid including large-scale electricity storage systems, encourage hydropower and geothermal energy, and permanently authorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. But it could do even better by including a carbon pricing strategy, like the Citizens' Climate Lobby carbon fee and dividend proposal, in which the price of fossil fuels more accurately reflect the climate costs of their use.
A carbon fee and dividend would place a steadily increasing fee on carbon, while returning all the proceeds directly to American households as a dividend. This will help incentivize investment shifts from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy. A border adjustment would provide a strong incentive to other countries importing goods to the U.S. to enact a similar price on carbon, helping spur the global shift that we need to combat climate change.
As Cantwell and Murkowski worked on a Senate bill in the Northwest, on the other side of the country, representatives from Florida joined hands across the aisle to form the Climate Solutions Caucus. Founded by Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the caucus has teamed up with Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., Rep. Chris Gibson, R-N.Y., and Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif. The aim of the caucus is to "explore policy options that address the impacts, causes and challenges of our changing climate." These members of Congress also deserve our appreciation for taking the lead on this difficult task. Even as their ranks grow, barriers to bipartisanship will loom large. They will need the support of the American people and the press to overcome these hurdles and gain real traction on climate solutions.
We believe that a carbon fee and dividend fits the bill as the most effective, efficient, and yes, bipartisan solution to the climate crisis. But first we need cooperation between our members of Congress to take the first steps. Let's acknowledge and thank these senators and representatives who are showing leadership by working together on tough challenges. Only by our acknowledgment and appreciation can we expect their courage to become the model for others to follow.
Fran Koehler is a member of the Seattle chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby. George Donart is a member of the Anchorage chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby and fishes commercially in Western Alaska.
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