The White House announced late last week that the United States will lead discussions with high-level representatives from 15 nations, the European Union, and the United Nations as the first step toward setting a global "goal" for cutting greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

The meetings are slated for September 27-28 in Washington, D.C.

President Bush proposed the U.S.-hosted meetings just before the June 6-8 Group of Eight summit in Heiligendamm, Germany. The President's plan calls for a meeting among the largest developed and developing nations to lay the groundwork for a "long-term global goal"—one that would be agreed upon by all parties in late 2008—for cutting future emissions over the next few decades.

The President said the parties "would seek agreement on the process by which the major economies would, by the end of 2008, agree upon a post-2012 framework that would include a long-term global goal, nationally defined midterm goals and strategies, and sector-based approaches for improving energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Invited to participate in the Meeting of Major Economies on Energy Security and Climate Change are representatives from the European Union and the United Nations as well as Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

The White House has yet to develop a formal agenda for the two-day meeting, which will be presented by the U.S. State Department. A spokesperson for the White House Council on Environmental Quality said discussions would include development of "work plans" for emissions reductions in key industry sectors including coal-fired power plants and transportation.

Contact Tom Carter.

Before adjourning, Congress passed and sent to the President for signature, S.1, The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. The bill passed the House on Tuesday with a staggering 411-8 vote, and then Thursday in the Senate with similar results, 83-14.

Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) labeled the bill's passage as the "most sweeping ethics and lobbying reform in history."

The bill would put an end to lawmakers and their staffs accepting travel, meals, and gifts paid for by lobbyists. They would also be required to disclose when lobbyists have bundled campaign contributions for them of $15,000 or more over a six month period.

There is a provision on earmarks that is the very first of its kind. It requires Senators to disclose their earmarks through a public, online database and then to certify that none of their family members will benefit financially from those earmarks. The disclosure must be made 48 hours before the earmarks take effect.

The "cooling off" period for Senators and their senior staff taking advantage of the revolving door between K Street and Congress would be extended. Senators would have to wait two years (and senior staff would have to wait one year) before they could lobby the entire Congress. 

It was thought that President Bush would sign the bill; however he has now stated a few reservations regarding the earmark provisions and the slowing of the revolving door between Congress and K Street.

A White House spokesperson stated that the President is unsure if he will sign the bill. With only a few days left to sign it, and with Congress recessed, the possibility of a pocket veto lingers.

NRMCA will continue to monitor and report on the progress of the lobbying reform package.

Contact Robert Sullivan or Kevin Walgenbach.

Federal Officials Respond to Bridge Collapse

At press time, two measures were moving forward in an attempt to provide federal aid following the bridge collapse on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis on August 1.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced on August 2 that $5 million in federal relief will be available to the state to repair the I-35 bridge. 

Also, U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) proposed a comprehensive program to repair the nation's structurally deficient bridges.

The Chair pointed out that there are 73,784 bridges in the country rated "structurally deficient" by the U.S. Department of Transportation.  He said a major reason why these bridges are not repaired, rehabilitated, or replaced can be attributed to a "tombstone mentality" in the Federal government and in the states.

Contact John Shaw or Jerry Voigt.

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