| October 27, 2009 Kerry: Climate change is 'significant threat' to national security
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(NECN: Washington) - Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, the leading sponsor of the Democrats' climate bill, spoke this morning at the first of three planned hearings by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).
Officials are looking to make their case before the Senate for aggressive action to combat climate change.
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"Climate change and our dependence on foreign oil are a significant threat to our national security," said Kerry.
The White House has made clear its support for the 900-page
Democratic bill that would cut greenhouse gases by 80 percent over
the next 40 years. It was sending three Cabinet secretaries and the
head of the Environmental Protection Agency to the Senate hearing
in hopes of persuading some wavering senators to support the
measure.
Similar to a House-passed bill, the legislation would cap
greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and large industrial
facilities. Polluters would have to obtain emission permits, and
the number of permits would be ratcheted down gradually to achieve
the reductions. To ease the transition, polluters would be able to
buy and sell allowances as necessary to meet the government-imposed
caps.
"If we hang back...of the five top 30 companies in the world in solar, wind and advanced batteries, only five are based in the United States of America," said Kerry.
Republicans have denounced the so-called
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