President Obama used his State of the Union speech to offer a pledge to use executive actions to battle global warming if Congress won’t pass a major climate bill.
His remarks at the Capitol Tuesday night commit Obama to a major second-term push on global warming using his administrative powers.
“If Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy,” Obama said.
Obama, before vowing to use executive powers, urged lawmakers to act. He called on Congress to create a “market-based solution” akin to the cap-and-trade that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) floated years ago.
Read more on The Hill's E2 blog.
