New Mexico congressman Ben Ray Lujan will join California Democrat Henry Waxman this afternoon to endorse passage later this week of sweeping new climate change legislation.

Luján will be one of the speakers at a Capitol Hill news conference endorsing the American Clean Energy and Security Act, better known as Waxman-Markey. The bill would place a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and set up a trading system, allowing companies to by and sell emissions permits. It would cost the average U.S. household $175 per year as energy costs increase - more forwell-to-do families and less for those with lower income - according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office.

The bill has drawn sharp criticism from both sides of the climate-energy debate, with some critics charging that it does too little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while others charge that it would cost the U.S. economy too much.

Current plans call for a vote in the full House on the bill Friday.