Obama Intends for Congress to Pass Climate Bill
President Obama said that moving the controversial climate bill through Congress this year is a task he is personally committed to. He said that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico underscores the nation’s need to move away from reliance on fossil fuels and “to embrace a clean energy future. The only way to do that is by finally putting a price on carbon.”
No Senate Republican has shown support of the bill, known as the American Power Act, and a number of Democrats have voiced concerns over the legislation. Experts believe that the bill does not yet have the 60 votes needed to pass. “The votes may not be there right now, but I intend to find them in the coming months,” Obama stated.
Senators Kerry and Lieberman, who authored the climate bill, released a joint statement after Obama’s address praising his commitment to gather the votes to pass the American Power Act. “We share the president’s determi
nation to pass this critical bill so that our nation can begin to move toward a clean energy future,” the senators wrote.
Washington insiders say that presidential leadership is necessary to create momentum for Senate action on the bill, with decisions coming soon on whether and how to move the bill forward.