WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John Kerry released the following statement after President George Bush made remarks about climate change ahead of a meeting of the 17 top national emitters of greenhouse gases, which were initiated by the White House and will start tomorrow in Paris.

“If this is President Bush’s idea of 20/20 vision, he needs to get his eyes checked.

We should recognize this announcement for what it is: a late, insufficient and insincere effort by a President who refuses to support responsible policies to address the urgent challenge of global climate change.

No matter how hard he tries to square the circle, there will be no American leadership on climate change if President Bush insists on appeasing Congressional Republicans by refusing to support a responsible cap-and-trade policy that achieves the levels of emission reductions called for by our nation’s top scientists.

This week, our allies will meet to discuss the next critical steps in combating climate change and they will know that President Bush still refuses to stop dragging his feet and come to the table with serious emission reduction targets and policies to match.

It’s clear the President cares more about the political backlash he faced among conservatives in his Party, than he does about the world’s determination to get serious about an urgent threat to our future.”

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