Mark Begich: “Climate change is an important issue--probably the defining issue of our time.”

We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us.

It has been an honor to be here.

I want to make sure my colleagues hear exactly what you are saying, so a couple years from now, we do not hear complaints that, geez, why did you not do it?

Just assuming the private sector is going to absorb all this is not realistic.