Political Quotes

“Madam President, I was very encouraged by the President's speech today for a number of reasons. The main thing I found encouraging is he is obviously done waiting. And there are three reasons to be done waiting. The first is it is very unlikely, given the current composition of the Congress, that the Congress will take action in the 113th. We have to recognize that political reality. The second is from an ecological standpoint, we don't have the luxury of waiting. We don't have 5 or 8 or 12 years to wait and deliberate. We need to take action now in order to reverse global climate change. The third is a matter of law. Under the EPA v. Massachusetts, the Supreme Court didn't just give the authority to the EPA to regulate carbon as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act; it effectively requires that the EPA move forward. So even if this President didn't believe in the science, even if this President weren't as passionate as he is about combating climate change, he would be required under the law to comply with the conditions of the Supreme Court decision. Let's get one thing straight. In a way, it is a little sad this has to be asserted on the Senate floor as a political statement, but here it is: Climate change is real, it is caused by humans, and it is solvable. It is a real threat with a high cost. But if we act now, we can start a new era of economic and scientific leadership for American innovation. I see our young pages here.…”