Climate bill showdown as Obama presses hard

updated 7:16 p.m. ET June 25, 2009

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama pushed urgently Thursday for passage of legislation to confront global warming, billing it as a job-creating machine rather than the costly "job killer" Republicans have been denouncing. He telephoned wavering Democrats on the eve of what could be a historic vote in the House of Representatives.

Speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House, Obama said the United States must not miss the opportunity to work on cleaning the air, creating new "green" energy jobs and moving the nation away from its reliance on fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.

The White House appeared worried that momentum for the bill might be slipping, although White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that when it came time for a House showdown, "I'd bet on the president."

Democratic leaders scurried to line up enough votes to get the bill passed. They enlisted former Vice President Al Gore, the country's most prominent voice on the urgency of dealing with climate change, to make phone calls to wary lawmakers — including some who believe the House bill was too weak rather than too strong.

House Republicans for weeks have maintained a drumbeat against the legislation, calling it a massive energy tax on every American and a "job killer" because it will force higher prices on electricity, gasoline and other energy sources as the economy shifts from cheaper fossil fuels, or as companies and utilities are forced to buy pollution allowances.

'Close vote because of misinformation'
Obama as well as the Democratic House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, sought to counter that argument.

"This is going to be a close vote because of misinformation out there that there's somehow a contradiction between clean energy and economic growth," said Obama. Rather than emphasizing any impact on pollution or global warming, he called the House legislation "a jobs bill" that will lead to the creation of new industries and "finally make clean energy a profitable kind of energy."

"It will create millions of new jobs," echoed Pelosi at a Capitol Hill press conference.

By late Thursday it still was unclear whether Pelosi, who has been courting moderate Republicans as well as fellow Democrats in the search for votes, had the 218 lawmakers she needed to get the bill passed. It is widely expected that if she is not certain of having a majority, she will not allow a vote Friday.

Meanwhile, 241 proposed amendments, most by Republicans seeking to scuttle the bill, were submitted for consideration, although most likely will be rejected by the House Rules Committee working into the evening Thursday. Exchanges before the panel provided a hint of the tone of the upcoming floor debate.

Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman, one of the chief sponsors of the bill, told the committee the bill "takes a balanced approach" and is supported by many in industry as well as environmentalists.

"It would radically change America as we know it," countered Rep. Joe Barton, a Republican. "It would mean the elimination of all fossil fuels used in America by the year 2050."

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