Highlight of the Week: Kerry-Graham Statement Signals Bipartisan Progress on Clean Energy

Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) outlined a path to a
bipartisan agreement on a climate plan they think can pass the Senate, buoying
hopes for clean
energy legislation by year's end.

 

The new direction was signaled by a joint op-ed in the New York
Times discussing the economic, environmental, and nation security benefits of a
plan to curb global warming. 

 

"[W]e refuse to accept the argument that the United States cannot lead the
world in addressing global climate change," said Sens. Kerry and Graham. "We are
also convinced that we have found both a framework for climate legislation to
pass Congress and the blueprint for a clean-energy future that will revitalize
our economy, protect current jobs and create new ones, safeguard our national
security and reduce pollution."

 

The column lists five common aims and beliefs necessary for a bipartisan
agreement, including the need to reduce dependence on foreign oil and keep more
jobs from going overseas. 

 

The partnership underscores momentum on the Senate's version of
comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation, introduced recently by Sen.
Kerry and Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer, a
bill that aims to curb carbon pollution and jump-start America's clean energy
economy.