The House Energy and Commerce Committee Tuesday chugged sluggishly in
its first day of marking up climate and energy legislation.

The panel approved an already announced "cash for clunkers" deal giving thousands of dollars to consumers to trade in older cars for newer, more fuel-efficient models. New cars in the program must get at least 22 miles per gallon, with the size of vouchers going up between $3,500 and $4,500, depending on the difference between the fuel efficiency of the new vehicle and the one it replaces.

Energy and Commerce ranking member Joe Barton asked Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, to agree to amend the deal to make it more like an original plan she had introduced, including replacing the fuel efficiency requirement with one including vehicles at least eight years old. But Sutton declined. "This is the consensus compromise that was reached to get this program off the ground," Sutton said. Her amendment -- with Reps. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., John Dingell, D-Mich., Bart Stupak, D-Mich., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa -- was approved 50-4, with 14 Republicans in support, including Barton, and Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., voting present.

Democrats turned back Republican amendments that could be construed as putting in a tough spot Democrats who represent industries covered in the bill and who had to make concessions in intraparty talks.

An amendment by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., would have essentially ended the bill's cap-and-trade program unless China and India adopt a mandatory greenhouse gas program as stringent as in the House bill. Republicans argued it was necessary to prevent those two countries from gaining a competitive advantage.

This is a key issue for Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., who was a lead negotiator with Waxman in getting free emission credits in the bill for certain industries, including the steel industry, which is important to Doyle's district. But Doyle, like Sutton, brushed off any perceived GOP attempt to paint him in a corner. "I wouldn't vote for a bill if I believed this was going to cause us to lose jobs in the steel industry," Doyle said. Rogers' amendment lost on a 36-23 party-line vote.

The National Republican Congressional Committee Tuesday sent out a release to districts of 13 committee Democrats -- though not Doyle -- based on that vote.

The release went to the districts of Braley, Stupak and Reps. John Barrow of Georgia, Rick Boucher of Virginia, G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, Bart Gordon of Tennessee, Baron Hill of Indiana, Jim Matheson of Utah, Jerry McNerney of California, Charlie Melancon of Louisiana, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Mike Ross of Arkansas, and Zack Space of Ohio.

Barton said the amendment was not meant to target Doyle. "I think Mike's done a very good job in trying to protect his industries," Barton said. "But he's fighting a losing battle."

Much of the day was spent with Republican queries to Democrats and staff -- perhaps at least partly in spite for the Democratic-only negotiations on the bill.

By late afternoon, with only a few votes to show after more than seven hours, Waxman's frustration started showing. "You can ask questions other than doing it in a public setting," Waxman told Rep. Michael Burgess when the Texas Republican asked for more time to query committee counsel. "Not everybody has to say everything about every matter. We need to move on," Waxman said.

"If we were able to do this at subcommittee, maybe some of this could have been resolved," Burgess responded, referencing the decision by Waxman to bring the measure straight to the full panel.

Despite the pace, Waxman said he is still expecting to wrap up Thursday. "I do expect it's going to speed up," Waxman said during a break for mid-afternoon floor votes.

"He's dreaming," Barton said. "It ain't going to happen." Barton said Republicans could still try to offer more than 400 amendments. But he acknowledged that Waxman only needs to call for a final vote at any time if he believes he has majority support to do so.

Barton, perhaps previewing the very argument he will have to make as early as Thursday, went after Waxman when he thought the chairman was trying to end all debate on the bill Tuesday. Waxman clarified he was merely looking to end debate on Rogers' amendment, which Barton also objected to at that point.

Ross said the bill is better than the draft Waxman and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey, D-Mass., first offered but his support "depends on what it looks like when we get through writing it," he said. "There's apparently 400 amendments, so I think it would be difficult for anyone to say at this time they're going to vote on final."

He said he might offer an amendment to expand biomass use. Rep. Greg Walden, D-Ore., tried to include woody biomass on federal lands in the bill's renewable electricity mandate as the fourth amendment of the day but was defeated, 32-26. Ross was one of four Democrats who voted for it.

Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., said she is on the fence and is working on adding language to help smaller solar energy projects.