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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) and John Warner (R-VA) responded to a message delivered by President Bush today in a Rose Garden speech about climate policy.
"I share the President's preference of a market-based approach over carbon taxes," Lieberman said. "I remain encouraged by EPA's finding last month that the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act will achieve strong results in curbing global warming without imposing economic hardship on Americans. I don't think that the President's statement will have any negative impact on our efforts to attract votes to the Climate Security Act on the Senate floor this June. I remain confident about the prospects of this critical legislation."
"The President's announcement today that he supports measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. is welcome news as the Senate prepares to consider climate change legislation this summer," Warner said. "This personally delivered message is recognition that a growing problem faces America - and the world - caused by erratic fluctuations in climate, particularly temperature variations and rainfall patterns. I am pleased the President is prepared to engage on this vital issue, both on Capitol Hill and on the international stage."
On March 14, the Bush Administration Environmental Protection Agency released an economic analysis of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. The analysis found that, under the bill, US gross domestic product would grow by 80% from 2010 to 2030 -- just one percentage point less than growth in the absence of the bill. EPA's analysis also found that the Climate Security Act's cut in cumulative US greenhouse-gas emissions would be deeper than one found earlier by EPA to be consistent with keeping global CO2 concentrations below 500 parts per million in 2100. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, keeping the global concentration below 500 ppm greatly decreases the risk of severe global warming impacts in the US and elsewhere. EPA acknowledged that its analysis did not attempt to determine the economic benefits of reducing emissions.
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