From the Office of Senator Kerry

Tuesday, June 11, 2002

Washington, D.C. -- Senator John Kerry announced today that the Senate Commerce Committee will call on senior administration officials to testify at a June 20th hearing on global warming, including Commerce Secretary Evans, EPA Administrator Whitman, and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.

The Committee will examine a report in which the Bush Administration for the first time acknowledged that fossil fuel pollution is the primary cause of global warming and that global warming will have significant consequences of the United States. The hearing will also review Administration policies for dealing with global warming.

Kerry said the hearing is necessary to clarify the Bush Administration's inconsistent statements and polices on global warming. "Some days the Administration acknowledges that global climate change is a real problem, and some days they act as if it's a figment of scientists' imagination. They say it's a global problem, but then they quit the international talks. We're promised a plan, but no real plan is presented. I don't think the Commerce Committee is alone in finding the Administration's statements very confusing and a bit misleading. The Committee wants to hear from the people in charge exactly what they believe to be the problem and what they plan to do to protect the global environment. Americans need to know whether this Administration is serious about addressing climate change, or whether they're relying on rhetoric alone to address public frustration over their inaction."

The Commerce Committee will call on senior Bush Administration officials to testify. They will include:

Commerce Secretary Donald Evans

Environmental Protection Agency Administration Christie Whitman

Transportation Secretary, Norman Mineta

Council on Environmental Quality Chairman James Connaughton

Dr. John Marburger, Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has jurisdiction over a range of issues related to global warming, including oceans, weather, and atmospheric activities. The Committee has held several hearings over the past three years on the science and policies of global warming and related issues. The Committee has been referred important legislation in this area, including legislation proposing mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, establishing a voluntary pollution credit reporting and trading program, and improve fuel economy for passenger vehicles.

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