Transcript

Monica Trauzzi: Welcome to E&ETV's coverage of the State of the Union 2008. I'm Monica Trauzzi. Tonight the president focused on international efforts to cap greenhouse gas emissions, introducing a $2 billion clean technology fund. On the domestic front, he asked Congress to fund research and development of clean technology, including nuclear and clean coal. We spoke to several members of Congress immediately following the speech and here are their reactions. Tonight the president focused on international efforts. He didn't really talk about the domestic.

John Warner: Well, no, it's right here on page five. He made some steps forward on trying to posture the United States of America becoming a partner in the global warming debate and action. And I said posture and position. I wish he'd taken stronger steps, but at least it's significant that he put a substantial mention here of global warming and what we're trying to do.

Monica Trauzzi: So, what does this mean for the Democrats this year and your efforts to get a bill passed?

John Warner: Well, I think it's important that the Senate pass a bill because you've got to remember that unless we, this year, take steps you're going to have to wait a minimum of a year with the next president, whoever that might be, to come in and start anew to move the Congress. And each year we lose other nations like China and India literally hide behind the skirts of the United States of America and say, "We're not going to move until America moves." Now, those two nations have to take a full partnership, as I'm urging America, to make this thing work because the three of us are the three major polluters.

Monica Trauzzi: Is the U.S. though moving on the international scale? At the end of this week there's going to be a major emitters meeting, a major economies meeting in Hawaii. Is the president taking steps on the international scale to cap emissions?

John Warner: Well, look at the Bali conference. It took place in September. Clearly, the representatives from the United States, in other words, non-governmental people, were not satisfied with what the delegation did in Bali from the United States. They fell way short of what many of us had hoped would be a step forward by the United States.

Monica Trauzzi: How likely do you think it is that your bill will be able to pass the Senate?

John Warner: Well, all I can say is that we, Senator Lieberman and I and a number of Republicans, I'm not all alone on this, Democrats are very solid on it. And I think the Republicans, particularly those running for reelection, are going to recognize they can't go back home and say, in an empty message, "We haven't done anything about global warming." Because there are many, many citizens, conscientious, irrespective of politics, that are concerned, as I am, about the condition of our environment as a consequence of this global warming phenomenon. I say phenomenon because there's still diversity in the scientific community. But each day, it seems to me, there's a growing body of evidence that points to the greenhouse gases as causing various perturbations in our weather problems.