New Energy Bill a Step to Cure Climate Change, Says Pelosi
By Monisha Bansal
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
November 28, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - After a White House ceremony on Monday to congratulate American Nobel prize winners, including Al Gore, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the attention given to climate change should spur action on the energy bill now being debated in Congress.
But some critics charged the bill would raise energy costs, while others claimed Congress is incapable of micromanaging America's energy needs.
"I again congratulate Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on their winning the Nobel Peace Prize, which is a culmination of decades of dedication and perseverance," Pelosi said in a statement.
"Just as Al Gore tirelessly fought to change the global warming debate, Congress must now act to change America's energy policy and begin to halt climate change," she added.
"Congress is now moving forward with historic energy legislation that will reduce our dependence on foreign fuels and promote energy efficiency," said Pelosi. "We have made significant progress toward completing this package and hope to have a final agreement next week.
"This energy package will lay the groundwork for the Congress to move forward next year with comprehensive action to address climate change. It is also incumbent on the Bush administration, after years of resistance, to become a leader in the global effort to reduce climate change. We owe it to our children and to the future to act now," Pelosi added.
But Peyton Knight, director of environmental and regulatory affairs at the conservative National Center for Public Policy Research, told Cybercast News Service that "our children's future could be a bleak one should this misnamed energy bill become law."
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