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CONGRESS ORGANIZES
Most of the time and attention on Capitol Hill this week was focused on both political parties organizing themselves, electing their roster of party leaders and new committee chairman for the 110th Congress which will convene in January 2007. In the Senate, the following leadership teams were chosen:
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)
Assistant Majority Leader (Whip) Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Vice Chairman of the Conference Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Secretary of the Conference Patty Murray (D-WA)
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Assistant Minority Leader (Whip) Trent Lott (R-MS)
Chairman of the Conference Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Vice Chairman of the Conference John Cornyn (R-TX)
In addition, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced the committee assignments he anticipates members of the Democratic Caucus will hold during the 110th Congress. As required by Senate Rules, Sen. Reid will meet with Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to negotiate and finalize the Majority/Minority make-up of each committee. Anticipated committee democratic assignments for certain committees (of interest to SIGMA):
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs: Christopher Dodd (CT), Chair; Tim Johnson (SD), Jack Reed (RI), Charles Schumer (NY), Evan Bayh (IN), Tom Carper (DE), Bob Menendez (NJ), Daniel Akaka (HI), Sherrod Brown (OH), Bob Casey (PA), and Jon Tester (MT).
Commerce, Science and Transportation: Daniel Inouye (HI), Chair; Jay Rockefeller (WV), John Kerry (MA), Byron Dorgan (ND), Barbara Boxer (CA), Bill Nelson (FL), Maria Cantwell (WA), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Mark Pryor (AR), Tom Carper (DE), Claire McCaskill (MO), and Amy Klobuchar (MN).
Energy and Natural Resources: Jeff Bingaman (NM), Chair; Byron Dorgan (ND), Ron Wyden (OR), Tim Johnson (SD), Mary Landrieu (LA), Maria Cantwell (WA), Ken Salazar (CO), Bob Menendez (NJ), Blanche Lincoln (AR), Bernie Sanders (VT), Jon Tester (MT).
Environment and Public Works: Barbara Boxer (CA), Chair; Max Baucus (MT), Joe Lieberman (CT), Tom Carper (DE), Hillary Clinton (NY), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Ben Cardin (MD), Bernie Sanders (VT), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI).
Health, Environment, Labor and Pensions: Ted Kennedy (MA), Chair; Christopher Dodd (CT), Tom Harkin (IA), Barbara Mikulski (MD), Jeff Bingaman (NM), Patty Murray (WA), Jack Reed (RI), Hillary Clinton (NY), Barrack Obama (IL), Bernie Sanders (VT), Sherrod Brown (OH).
Judiciary: Patrick Leahy (VT), Chair; Ted Kennedy (MA), Joe Biden (DE), Herbert Kohl (WI), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Russ Feingold (WI), Charles Schumer (NY), Richard Durbin (IL), Ben Cardin (MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI).
Small Business: John Kerry (MA), Chair; Sander Levin (MI), Tom Harkin (IA), Joe Lieberman (CT), Mary Landrieu (LA), Maria Cantwell (WA), Evan Bayh (IN), Mark Pryor (AR), Ben Cardin (MD), Jon Tester (MT).
In the House of Representatives, the Democrats voted on the leadership team below:
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA)
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD)
Majority Whip James Clyburn (SC)
Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (IL)
House Republicans elected John Boehner (OH) as minority leader, Roy Blunt (MO) as minority whip, Adam Putnam (WA) as caucus chair, and Tom Cole (OK) as chair of the GOP campaign committee. The remainder of their elections should be complete by next week. Contrary to popular belief, there will be work done during this lame duck session. Congress will be in session after Thanksgiving beginning on December 4 and will likely pass an omnibus appropriations bill that will keep the government in operation through next year. Democratic leaders say they may continue working right up to the Christmas holiday.
CHICAGO: A RECORD BREAKER
By now you have returned to your office following the hugely successful 2006 SIGMA Annual Meeting in Chicago. The final registration figure was 675 making this the largest meeting since the 40th Anniversary almost ten years ago! In order to assist the SIGMA leadership in planning for future meetings please use the following link and fill out the online evaluation form. Your answers are important! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=71752893783 . Keep and eye out for the next issue if Independent Gasoline Marketing for a fun recap of the meeting!
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TAX BILL TO NEXT SESSION
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) announced that action on a technical correction bill (H.R. 6264, S. 4026) will be postponed until the next Congressional session due to disagreements over whether certain provisions under consideration are substantive or truly technical. The bill, entitled “Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2006,” makes technical and clerical corrections to the Internal Revenue Code, including changes to provisions enacted by: (1) the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005; (2) the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005; (3) the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users; (4) the Energy Policy Act of 2005; (5) the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004; (6) the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003; (7) the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001; (8) the Tax Relief Extension Act of 1999; and (9) the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. Public comments on the technical corrections bill are available at http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/taxtechcorrections.htm
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CO2 LITIGATION UPDATE
Briefing was completed earlier this week in the pending Supreme Court case, Massachusetts v. EPA, in which SIGMA has intervened as part of a broad industry coalition. The case involves a challenge to EPA's denial of a petition requesting the agency to regulate under the Clean Air Act carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. Environmental groups and a number of states have appealed to the Supreme Court after the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld EPA's decision not to regulate. This is one of the most significant environmental cases ever to come before the Court and the decision is likely to have major ramifications for defining when and how EPA is required to regulate. Industry groups, including SIGMA, have intervened on behalf of EPA, arguing that carbon dioxide does not fit the definition of "air pollutant" under the Act, that Congress did not grant EPA authority to regulate carbon dioxide, and that requiring EPA to regulate such emissions would have dramatic consequences not only for automobile, but all potential sources of carbon dioxide. Oral argument before what is expected to be a packed courtroom is scheduled for November 29.
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FDIC RISK GUIDELINES
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued updated environmental risk guidelines on Monday for lenders seeking to limit exposure to environmental liability associated with real property held as collateral. FDIC’s suggested lender policies reflect the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) all-appropriate-inquiry-rule, which sets out the steps buyers must take to shield themselves from liability under the superfund law when purchasing property that is potentially contaminated. The FDIC guidelines include recommendations for policies (specifically addressing environmental issues), training (to ensure that its policy on environmental risk will be implemented properly) and the use of environmental risk assessments (monitoring for potential environmental concerns, such as change in the business activities associated with the property).
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NEW SENATE EPW COMMITTEE
Incoming Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) divided air quality issues, including global warming, into two separate subcommittees as part of the Democrats’ committee restructuring process. She appointed herself chairwoman of the new Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, Children’s Health Protection and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, which will also cover federal environmental review required under the National Environmental Policy Act. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) will head a separate Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection Subcommittee, including issues regarding environmental technology. Environment and Public Works Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) is a global warming skeptic and advocated voluntary, incentive-based approaches to curbing industrial greenhouse gas emissions instead of mandatory caps.
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SECONDARY CONTAINMENT
To implement significant changes made by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to federal underground storage tank regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency Nov. 15 issued final secondary containment grant guidelines for states. By Feb. 8, 2007, states receiving federal funds to regulate underground storage tanks must implement either these guidelines or the financial responsibility and certification grant guidelines EPA plans to issue in the next few months. EPA said new underground storage tanks or piping that is within 1,000 feet of any existing community water system or any existing potable drinking water must be secondarily contained and monitored for leaks. Also, any new motor fuel dispenser system within 1,000 feet of a community water system or potable drinking water well must have under-dispenser containment. More information on the secondary containment grant guidelines is available at http://www.epa.gov/oust/fedlaws/final_sc.htm.
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ULSD QUESTIONS
In a continuing effort to keep abreast of any ULSD issues, we’d like to ask the following question: In areas in which you market, are there certain counties where you DO NOT sell ULSD? SIGMA has been asked by the Energy Information Administration at DOE to help with this information. Please respond to Greg Scott (gscott@kelleydrye.com) with your input.
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MINIMUM WAGE BILL
Senate Democrats will negotiate terms of the minimum wage bill in order to ensure its passage in the Senate next year. According to BNA, Democrats targeted tax credits to small businesses as the honey to draw Republicans’ support, hopefully garnering the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster. A clean minimum wage bill is expected to be among the first items on the House legislative schedule when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) takes the gavel in January.
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**There will be no Weekly Report next week because of the Thanksgiving holiday, unless there is breaking news information**
SIGMA Weekly Report November 20, 2006 © Copyright SIGMA, 2006
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