Senator Warner to seek EPW Ranking Member Position

This is good news for everyone who cares about getting a serious global warming bill out of this Congress. While Senator Warner may not be the greenest of Senators (he has a lifetime LCV score of 21), he was one of the 44 Senators to vote for Senator Bingaman's (D-NM) "Sense of the Senate" resolution stating that global warming is real and mandatory limits are necessary to curb and eventually reverse global warming pollution. The Republican Senator from Virginia also provides a huge change in temperament with regard to global warming as compared to the current chairman, Senator Inhofe (R-OK) who considers global warming a "hoax" and looks at those trying to stop it with nothing more than disdain.

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

For Immediate Release Contact: John Ullyot

November 17, 2006 202-224-6290

SENATOR WARNER TO SEEK ELECTION

AS SENATE EPW COMMITTEE RANKING MEMBER

Today, Senator John W. Warner, R-Va., announced that he will seek election as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) in the next Congress, which begins in January.

Senator Warner is the senior Republican on the Committee, having served on the panel since January 1987.

Senator Warner said, "Many in the media have inquired of my intentions for committee positions in the upcoming Congress, now that I have concluded my Chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in keeping with the six-year term limit established by Republican Conference rules. I intend to remain on the Armed Services Committee as the second-ranking Republican on that panel.

"As the senior Republican on the Senate EPW Committee, I intend to submit my name for election as the Ranking Minority member of that panel. I will do so in recognition of established Senate Republican Conference rules and precedents.

"Under these protocols, Republican Committee members first elect their chairman or ranking member, and their choice is then ratified or rejected by the full Republican Conference. These rules and precedents recognize the seniority of membership on the Committee as the principal factor in making such decisions.

"In the coming weeks, I look forward to working with the new membership of the EPW Committee as it makes this decision for submission to the Republican Conference."