Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the Climate Change Bill

[Hope And Change]

Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the Climate Change Bill

By Sam Graham-Felsen - Jun 6th, 2008 at 12:32 pm EDT


CHICAGO, IL -- Today, Sen. Barack Obama released the following statement on the Climate Change Bill...

As this week’s debate on climate change has unfolded, the American people and those watching us around the world had every reason to hope that we would act. Every credible scientist and expert believes action is necessary. This is critical and long overdue legislation that represents a good first step in addressing one of the most serious problems facing our generation.

Like many of my Senate colleagues, I believe the legislation could have been made even better. Had there been a substantive Senate debate about some of the concerns with this bill, I believe the outcome could have generated broad support. It certainly would have received my support.

Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the Senate has chosen to block progress, rather than work in a good faith manner to address this challenge. This is a failure of our politics and a failure of leadership – a President who for years denied the problem, and a Republican nominee, John McCain, who claims leadership on the issue but opposes this bipartisan bill.

We can’t afford more of the same timid politics when the future of our planet is at stake. We are already breaking records with the intensity of our storms, the number of forest fires, and the periods of drought. By 2050, famine could force more than 250 million from their homes. And if we do nothing, sea levels will rise high enough to swallow large portions of every coastal city and town.

This bipartisan legislation establishes an economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas emissions. It helps states, cities, and towns invest in technologies to reduce energy bills for homeowners, increase energy efficiency, construct green buildings, and expand public transit. It invests in green technology to help our automakers to retool and our fossil-fuel industries to become clean. The bill provides real financial relief to working families. Importantly, the bill restores our great nation’s international leadership role, while including provisions to ensure that all major emitting nations also take serious action to solve this global problem.

Let me be clear, this bill is not perfect. Emissions reductions must reflect the scientific consensus, which are reductions of at least 80 percent 2050. We must ensure that more middle-class families reap more of the financial benefits created by this bill. And we must direct greater resources to the regions of the country that will bear the brunt of this critical transition to a clean energy economy.

I believe that the American people are ready to lead the world on this issue. The time for distractions, divisions, and excuses is over. The time for new coalitions, informed and civil debate, and a sense of shared purpose is long overdue. As president, I am committed to ensuring that our children and our children’s children can point to this generation as the time when American found its way again.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/">Click here to learn more about Obama's plan for a clean energy future.


http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gG5CpQ">Link

[Clovis Sangrail]

1. sending a message of support

isn't the same as actually showing up and voting.

It really ticks me off when our elected officials miss votes.
Especially when the vote is a particularly important issue.

[frog92969]

2. And it missed by three votes

Clinton and Obama were right in VA, that's two.
Had they have been there I'm sure they could have found one more.

What's up with that? I found it very disapointing.
:wtf:

[Hola]

3. One more = McCain

McCain supports it too, but he's running around FL.

[frog92969]

4. He SAYS he supports it

But who knows what that means?
:shrug:

[Hola]

5. Needed 12, not 3

The vote was for cloture, i.e: end the GOP fillibuster. They needed 60 votes, they only had 48 - with BO and Hill it would have been 50 - strictly party-line vote.

"Democratic leaders fell a dozen votes short of getting the 60 needed to end a Republican filibuster"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25002970/

[Hope And Change]

7. Thanks for the correction Hola and the info.

[Clovis Sangrail]

8. not a strict party line vote

Dems who voted against cloture:
Brown (D-OH), Dorgan (D-ND), Johnson (D-SD), Landrieu (D-LA),

Reps who voted for cloture:
Collins (R-ME), Dole (R-NC), Martinez (R-FL), Smith (R-OR), Snowe (R-ME), Sununu (R-NH, Warner (R-VA)

Yes, they were 12 votes short looking at it after the fact Obama's single vote wouldn't change anything.
We don't, and never will, know what the affect of him being there and supporting the cloture vote would have had on the final vote.

His job is to consider the issues, make arguments, and vote on them.

[frog92969]

9. GovTrack says 3/5 of 84 = 51

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2008-145

That's what I go by.

[SpiralHawk]

6. "We had to shoot it down. It could cut into oil crony profits. Smirk." - Republicons