From left to right, William C. Eacho, Waverly Dooling, Representative Spanberger, and Representative Wild in the chamber leading to the House Floor. June 29th, 2021.

Last week our CEO, former Ambassador William Eacho, and intern Waverly Dooling went to Capitol Hill to discuss the merits of a carbon fee with a few representatives. At the Partnership, we believe pricing carbon is crucial not only to curbing emissions and creating a greener global economy, but also to remaining competitive globally. The border adjustments that a carbon fee allows can both enhance U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and spur our trade partners to decarbonize as well.

During our time on the Hill, we had the opportunity and honor to have one-on-one meetings with and visit the offices of Representatives Susan Wild (D-PA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), and Don Beyer (D-VA). We learned that there is considerable support from Democrats in Congress for pricing carbon--matched with disappointment that the leadership is not enthusiastic about it. Furthermore, all of the representatives we spoke to acknowledge that a Clean Energy Standard (CES) can help decarbonize the electrical sector but are conscious of its limitations. The CES would not decarbonize the rest of the economy, protect U.S. manufacturers from competition from coal-dependent exporters like China, or encourage other countries to decarbonize (which a border adjustment with a carbon fee would).

How can this underlying receptiveness to a national price on carbon emissions develop enough momentum to become the law of the land? As Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) says, the business community needs to step up its lobbying. Success also depends on gaining support from the Democratic leadership and the White House. We would like to thank Rep. Wild, Rep. Ross, Rep. Spanberger, Rep. Malinowski, and Rep. Beyer for their time, attention, and candid thoughts. The Partnership intends to continue to meet with Congresspeople, leadership, and aides over the summer.

From left to right, William C. Eacho and Representative Spanberger with the entrance to National Statuary Hall in the background. June 29th, 2021.

From left to right,  Representative Spanberger, Waverly Dooling, and Representative Malinowski in the chamber leading to the House Floor. June 29th, 2021. — From left to right, Representative Spanberger, Waverly Dooling, and Representative Malinowski in the chamber leading to the House Floor. June 29th, 2021.