House Democrats agree on "cash for clunkers"

WASHINGTON — House Democrats working on energy and global-warming legislation remained deadlocked Tuesday on several contentious issues even after a gentle nudge from President Obama at a White House meeting. But they did announce a tentative deal to give consumers billions of dollars to trade in their old cars and trucks for models with somewhat higher gas mileage.

That "cash for clunkers" subsidy is intended to increase vehicle sales, prop up the faltering U.S. auto industry and make the nation's car and truck fleet marginally more efficient. Obama has lent support to the idea, and there is money in the stimulus package to finance it.

Democrats plan to include the deal in the broader energy bill unless that measure becomes hopelessly entangled in policy disputes.

Under the "cash for clunkers" provision, a buyer would receive a voucher toward the purchase of a new car or truck if that vehicle got a specific combined minimum miles per gallon in city and highway driving. The fuel efficiency of the car or truck also would have to exceed that of the vehicle being traded by a specific minimum.

The measure would apply to domestic and imported vehicles alike, last for one year and be capped at 1 million vouchers. If consumers claimed all the vouchers, the measure would cost an estimated $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion.

The provision was only one piece of the vigorous horse trading under way to try to win support of enough Democrats to move the broader climate legislation through the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

None of the 23 Republicans on the panel have expressed support for the broader bill, and Democratic members said Tuesday they remained far apart on critical elements, including goals for emissions reductions, mandates for renewable electricity such as wind and solar power, and the issue of whether the government would give away pollution permits rather than auctioning all of them.

The timetable for legislative action remains unclear, although the committee chairman, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., renewed his pledge to pass a bill by the end of May.

Obama told the nearly three dozen Democratic lawmakers at the White House meeting that they were at a historic moment in the debate over global warming and energy independence, and he urged them to move as quickly as possible toward passage of the complex legislation, participants said.

The bill before the panel would set limits on carbon-dioxide emissions, modernize the electrical transmission grid, finance work on cleaning up coal-fired power plants and force large gains in the energy efficiency of buildings, appliances and vehicles.