March, 2007

What a difference an Oscar – and a little science – can make in Congress. That thought crossed my mind when Former Vice President Al Gore made a triumphant return to Congress last week. This time, as he took his seat at the witness table before our Energy and Commerce Committee, both the world, and every camera in town, turned their attention to him, and rightfully so.

But it was different story two years ago . Then, when we asked the Vice President to come and share his scientific review with members of the House, and we asked the whole group of 435 members to come hear his presentation, exactly five showed up. It was embarrassing. It is a great vindication of the Vice President that a House that refused to listen to him two years ago gave him its rapt attention last week.

At the first meeting of the first ever House of Representatives global warming and energy committee Democrats, it was easy to feel a sense of history. After all I was in a room, H 232 where other Congressmen had grappled with slavery, suffrage, and civil rights.

As I sat down with Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the long table with my other lucky eight Democrat colleagues, the thought struck me that we were up against something just as challenging and fundamental to our nation as those other trials in our country’s history. Every generation has its signature challenge. As the Speaker convened the group, and began to set out our charge, it was apparent to me that this threat was our generation’s make or break moment.