President Barack Obama pledged on Wednesday to find support in the Senate for a bill to overhaul U.S. energy policy, using the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to hasten production of cleaner renewable fuels.Obama, in remarks at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, also said he expected to see strong job growth reflected in the May jobs report to be released on Friday.The president had planned to focus his year on boosting jobs in the United States, where unemployment is hovering near 10 percent, but other issues -- healthcare reform, changes to financial regulation, and now the Gulf of Mexico oil spill -- have distracted attention from that.Obama, a Democrat, accused Republicans of sitting on the sidelines while his administration worked to rescue the economy. But he also said he would seek their support to pass energy legislation in the U.S. Senate despite strong resistance ahead of November congressional elections."The votes may not be there right now, but I intend to find them in the coming months," Obama said, referring to a bill that is languishing in the Senate."I will continue to make the case for a clean energy future wherever and whenever I can. I will work with anyone to get this done. And we will get it done," he said to applause.The House of Representatives has already passed a bill that would put limits on greenhouse gas emissions, but a similar effort has stalled in the Senate.Obama said the oil spill should prompt Americans to acknowledge that the United States could not depend solely on fossil fuels in the future.That meant tapping into U.S. reserves of natural gas, increasing the number of nuclear power plants, and rolling back "billions of dollars of tax breaks to oil companies so we can prioritize investments in clean energy research and development."SHORT TERM SOLUTIONHe said the United States could only pursue offshore drilling as a short-term solution to its energy needs and said U.S. dependence on fossil fuels threatened its security while putting the economy and the environment at risk.Obama also pushed his case for a system that would limit greenhouse gas emissions from industry, a key ingredient for the United States in a still elusive global agreement to fight climate change."The only way the transition to clean energy will ultimately succeed is if the private sector is fully invested in this future -- if capital comes off the sidelines and the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs is unleashed," he said."And the only way to do that is by finally putting a price on carbon pollution."In the coming weeks Democrats in the Senate are expected to plot strategy for dealing with energy and environment legislation. Prior to Obama's remarks on Wednesday there was little evidence the Senate would take up a comprehensive measure this year.Nevertheless, Democratic Senator John Kerry has been hoping the full Senate would debate and vote on a bill in late June or early July, leaving enough time in September or October to work out a final bill with the House.An Environmental Protection Agency economic analysis of the a climate and energy bill written by Kerry and independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is expected sometime in June. (Writing by Jeff Mason; additional reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)News posted by www.newsinfoline.com
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