On Wednesday, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on the upcoming United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark next month.

The Wall Street Journal has more:

Mr. Stern encountered tough questioning from Republicans, some of whom challenged the idea that the earth is warming. Others expressed fear that the administration will commit the U.S. to an economically ruinous schedule of emissions reductions.

“The longer we wait, the worse it gets,” Mr. Stern told the panel. “At some point, people are going to recognize there’s too much carbon in the atmosphere.”

Mr. Stern was testifying a day after Senate Republicans largely boycotted a meeting of a Senate panel weighing a proposal to cut U.S. emissions roughly 20 percent beneath 2005 levels by 2020. The Republicans complained that the bill’s potential impact on the economy had not been sufficiently vetted by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Echoing similar concerns, Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R., Fla.), told Mr. Stern “the last thing we need coming out of Copenhagen is an energy tax.” Mr. Bilirakis said he feared the Obama administration will commit the U.S. to a deal that “will severely disadvantage American business and shift jobs abroad” to countries such as China and India that don’t cap emissions.

Gus continued:

"We most certainly should not agree to live by the terms and conditions of any international treaty or legislative body other than that of the U.S. Congress; especially when ceding our sovereignty in this area would devastate our economy and increase unemployment."

 Back in June Gus voted against the House "Cap & Trade" plan:

"As Floridians face double digit unemployment for the first time in 34 years, the last thing we need is an energy tax that will drive energy costs through the roof for families and hamstring small businesses who are trying to survive and create jobs. This deeply flawed bill will severely disadvantage American businesses and shift jobs to other nations like China and India who do not cap emissions. We must balance the need to protect our environment with the need for economic growth and job creation. Unfortunately this bill fails to effectively strike that balance and will do more harm than good.

“Congress should instead increase domestic energy production, promote energy efficiency, and encourage private investment in renewable energy technologies as part of a comprehensive plan to address our energy needs.”