October 23, 2009 During speech at MIT, Obama pushes for passage of climate bill Play video

(NECN: Cambridge, Mass.) - President Barack Obama this afternoon delivered a speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"We have always been about innovation, we have always been about discovery, that's in our DNA. The truth is, we also face more complex challenges than in years past," said Obama.

Obama said passage of comprehensive energy legislation is key to America's future success and that those opposing it are using "cynical claims" to stop it.

Obama said "the closer we get, the harder the opposition will fight."

Obama said he believes the nation's economic future is tied to its environmental promise.