Political Quotes

“In December, representatives of 150 nations will gather in Kyoto, Japan, to sign a successor treaty to the United Nations 1992 framework convention on climate change. Today, as we anticipate this important event, we will debate a nonbinding measure putting the House on record as supporting proper management of our Nation's forests to maximize the reduction of greenhouse gases, among other important objectives. This resolution is similar to the Byrd-Hagel resolution passed by the Senate earlier this year that put them on record opposing any treaty that would cause serious economic harm to the United States. Everyone agrees that we must have clean environment, but we must do it in a way that does not impair or harm our economy. This resolution represents the fact we can have both a healthy environment and a vibrant economy. By the Clinton-Gore administration's own economic model, the effect of mandatory reductions of greenhouse gases would be devastating to this economy of ours. The United States has an obligation to defend the rights of people who inhabit our planet. It seems that officials representing the United States in the climate change treaty negotiations have lost sight of that duty. Science has proven to us that carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas, can be taken out of the atmosphere by properly managing our forests.”