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Obama Pressures Senate on Climate Bill

By CHARLES BABINGTON

posted: 11 HOURS 33 MINUTES AGO

comments: 6079

filed under: National News

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WASHINGTON (June 27) - Hailing the House, President Barack Obama put pressure on senators Saturday to follow its lead and pass legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions, helping usher the U.S. into a new age of energy efficiency.

"Now my call to every senator, as well as to every American, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past," the president said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "Don't believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. It's just not true."

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The legislation, which the House narrowly approved Friday night, would place the first national limits on emissions of greenhouse gases from major sources — such as power plants, factories and oil refineries — to reduce the gases linked to global climate change. It would also start moving the U.S. away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner power sources, such as geothermal, wind, solar and more nuclear generators.

The potential impact on people's daily lives is great. If the proposal, which faces an uncertain fate in the Senate, were to become law, it could make it more expensive for people to heat, cool and light their homes; mean more smaller, fuel efficient and hybrid electric cars; and create more "green" jobs, or environmentally friendly ones. Windmills and solar panels might replace smokestacks.

The complex bill, would require the U.S. to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and by 83 percent by midcentury.

Opponents complain about the costs and say some industries will simply move their operations and jobs out of the U.S. to countries that don't control greenhouse-gas emissions.

House Democratic leaders said the bill helped accomplish one of Obama's campaign promises and would make the U.S. a leader in international efforts to address climate change when negotiations take place in Denmark this year.

"We passed transformational legislation, which will take us into the future," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., after the 219-212 vote.

Success will be tougher in the Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid says he wants to take up the legislation by the fall. Sixty votes will be needed to overcome any Republican filibuster.

The "razor-thin vote in the House spells doom in the Senate," said Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.

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The White House and congressional Democrats argued the bill would create millions of green jobs as the nation shifts to greater reliance on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar and development of more fuel-efficient vehicles — and away from use of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.

Republicans saw it differently.

This "amounts to the largest tax increase in American history under the guise of climate change," declared Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.

In the Republicans' weekly radio and Internet address, House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio said, "By imposing a tax on every American who drives a car or flips on a light switch, this plan will drive up the prices for food, gasoline and electricity."

But Obama said the measure would cost the average American about the price of a postage stamp per day.

Associated Press writers Dina Cappiello and H. Josef Hebert contributed to this report.

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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2009-06-26 22:33:49

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JohnnyAngel228

08:21 AMJun 28 2009

I FORGOT AL GORE LETS USE HIM AS A PINATA FIRST,AND THEN FOR TARGET PRACTICE.AFTER HE WAKES UP OF COURSE

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JohnnyAngel228

08:20 AMJun 28 2009

I FORGOT AL GORE LETS USE HIM AS A PINATA FIRST,AND THEN FOR TARGET PRACTICE.AFTER HE WAKES UP OF COURSE

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JohnnyAngel228

08:16 AMJun 28 2009

LETS ROUND UP OBAMA ,PELOSI,BARNEY FRANKS,AND THE REST OF THESE LIBERTARDS AND USE THEM FOR TARGET PRACTICE(I GOT PLENTY OF AMMO!!)

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JohnnyAngel228

08:12 AMJun 28 2009

Sing it with me people(feels good!) KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,KILL THE CHIMP,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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Madlender

08:09 AMJun 28 2009

Hitler would be proud....it took years to take over Europe.....Obama has taken over banks, autos, the insurance industry, pension funds, health care and energy in less then 8 months all without having to fire a single shot!!......Good Morning my Comrade's!!!

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JSharkbytes

06:56 AMJun 28 2009

Recently Al Gore took a few hundred children into an autitorium and told them not to listen to their parents when it comes to global warming ..he explained to them that thier parents generation don't understand what is now happening to our planet..If this is the case then Al you have no idea what your talking about..

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ReginaldJackman

06:29 AMJun 28 2009

Going green sounds good. But we need to be careful; some of these green things have side effects. Our green technology is not yet developed. We need to bridge the gap. We cannot succumb to foreign interests while in a state of transition. Let's let the marked do its thing.

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DVRMDC

05:35 AMJun 28 2009

All I hear about Obama is socialist this and Acorn that and Muslim this and Birth Certificate that. Not one original or valid point, just talking point rhetoric from Rush or Fox or ABC Radio. Taxes going up, Watch out for your business, grab your ankles, etc. etc. etc. It's quite obvious that the people who hate Obama, Hate him because their celebrity masters told them to. This is what America has degenerated to, a gang of sheep who are totally unable to think for themselves. A nation of hapless followers, getting their news and opinions from internet blogging sites. Unthinking, Oblivious.and Unbending. there is no hope for the future at all as long as this situation continues.

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FlyboyzII

04:51 AMJun 28 2009

Obammy and his buddies just killed ALOT of small businesses. Thanks Obammy voters your effin' morons. For the record, I wasn't impressed by ANY of the candidates this last time around but I was educated enough to NOT vote for this economic moron and ACORN associate. Thanks again for allowing Obammy to kill yet another part of what used to be a great nation...you Obammy voters are the best. *eyeroll*

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Iselin 007

03:20 AMJun 28 2009

Jobs will be created hopefully an some will still get coal in their stocking as necessary. We could probably burn all the worthless stocks, fraudulent ID's and the excessive amount of visas to power steam engines.

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