Congresswoman Matsui Statement on Presidents Trip to Copenhagen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, December 17, 2009

CONTACT: MARA LEE

(202) 225-7163

Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-CA), a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, released the following statement ahead of President Barack Obama's trip to Copenhagen to address the climate change negotiations sponsored by the United Nations:

"The task of the world's delegates in Copenhagen is not easy, and reducing our carbon emissions will not come without sacrifice. But the very real threats that climate change pose with regard to public health and flooding are challenges that must be addressed. We ignore these risks at our peril, and overlooking our responsibility to act will not lessen the impacts of global warming.

"President Obama faces enormous hurdles in helping to secure a mutually-beneficial agreement between developed and developing nations. And I believe he understands the importance of acting now to reduce our carbon footprint, and shares the majority view here at home of the need to invest in clean energy technology that will reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

"The legislation passed earlier this year by the House of Representatives will put us on a path to create new jobs and establish a cleaner, stronger economy that would make the United States a world leader in a clean-energy future. I hope that the Senate will soon follow; and that President Obama takes a leadership role in securing an agreement in Copenhagen that would put our country, and the international community, in a position to live in a world that is more sustainable, more economically viable, and more energy-efficient than the one we live in today."