Sen. Ben Cardin answers Grist’s questions on public transit and mountaintop removal mining

Grist.com
David Roberts
September 22, 2009

Beltway observers of all stripes owe Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) a debt of gratitude. In 2006, after 20 years in the House of Representatives, he ran for Maryland's newly vacant Senate seat against then-Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. Steele's defeat put him on a trajectory to become chair of the Republican National Committee, where he has provided the political world with an unending stream of malapropisms and unintentional hilarities.

Meanwhile, Cardin-who boasts close to a perfect 100 score from the League of Conservation Voters-has become a key player on green issues in the Senate. He was kind enough to answer a few of our questions (transcript at bottom of post):

Sen. Cardin doesn't mention it specifically, but he is one of the original sponsors of CLEAN-TEA (the Clean Low-Emissions Affordable New Transportation Equity Act), which would set aside 10% of the revenue from any cap-and-trade program for green transportation projects. The provision was dropped from the House bill; it needs five more sponsors on the Environment and Public Works Committee to get voted through to the Senate floor. Neither Obama nor Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have come out in support of the provision yet, but they oughtta.

Enviros will be heartened to hear that Cardin is on board with preserving the EPA's Clean Air Act authority over greenhouse gases. Rumor has it Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and other Dems on the Environment and Public Works Committee are pushing to include this in the climate bill.

Finally, Cardin doesn't mention this specifically either, but he is an original sponsor of S. 696, the Appalachia Restoration Act, which would define the word "fill" to prevent mountaintop-removal mining operations from dumping waste and rubble in mountain streams. He was one of the earliest members of Congress to speak out clearly against the barbaric practice of MTR; progress on the issue seems to be picking up steam.

Big thanks to Sen. Cardin for taking the time to answer our questions. With any luck, this won't be the last time.