01 August 2001

Senate Panel Approves "Sense of Congress" on Climate Change

By Ralph Dannheisser
Washington File Congressional Correspondent

Washington -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a two-year State Department funding bill that authorizes more than $8,974 million for activities in the fiscal year that starts October 1, including amounts to pay back U.S. debts to the United Nations and heighten embassy security.

The measure, passed by unanimous voice vote August 1, also contains a "Sense of Congress" section - one that does not carry the force of law - calling for U.S. leadership in the area of climate change, and active participation in upcoming international negotiations on how to address the issue.

Citing a range of scientific evidence that the sharp rise in concentrations of man-made greenhouse gases is contributing to global climate change, the section recognizes "a shared international responsibility to address this problem," on the part of both industrialized and developing nations. The section adopted by a 19-0 vote, was championed by Senator John Kerry (Democrat, Massachusetts)

The United States has come under some criticism abroad in the wake of recent comments on the issue by President Bush, including a June 11 statement in which he described as "fatally flawed" the 1997 Kyoto Protocol outlining proposed cuts in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Indeed, many members of Congress have used the same term in describing the pact, and the Senate has declined to ratify it.

But the Kerry amendment calls for the United States to "demonstrate international leadership and responsibility" on global warming by "taking responsible action to ensure significant and meaningful reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases from all sectors" and "creating flexible international and domestic mechanisms" to deal with the problem.

The unanimously approved amendment specifically calls on the administration to put forth a proposal at the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties (to the protocol) "with the objective of securing United States participation in a revised Kyoto Protocol or other future binding climate change agreements."

Such a course should be followed "in a manner that is consistent with the environmental objectives of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, that protects the economic interests of the United States, and recognizes the shared international responsibility for addressing climate change, including developing country participation," the measure stipulates.

In a separate action, the committee passed a bill offered by Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat, California) that would overturn President Bush's order withholding U.S. aid from foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the family planning field that use their own funds to perform or advocate abortions.

Both measures now proceed to the full Senate for consideration.