[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 19 (Tuesday, February 2, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3191. Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Mr. Schatz, and Mr. Markey) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2953 
proposed by Ms. Murkowski to the bill S. 2012, to provide for the 
modernization of the energy policy of the United States, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ____. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE.

       It is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) a global temperature increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit 
     or greater will lead to significant disruption to the natural 
     systems of the earth, including--
       (A) increased droughts;
       (B) more intense wildfires;
       (C) rising seas;
       (D) increased desertification; and
       (E) acidifying oceans;
       (2) the impacts referred to in paragraph (1) will result in 
     economic disruption, including significant impacts on the 
     farming, fishing, forestry, recreation, and other sectors of 
     the United States economy;
       (3) the international community, representing more than 195 
     countries, agreed to take steps to avert 3.6 degrees 
     Fahrenheit of global temperature rise;
       (4) in order to tackle climate change and achieve the goal 
     of averting 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit of global temperature 
     rise, all countries must meet and build on their pledged 
     efforts and do their fair share to address climate change by 
     transitioning to clean sources of energy;
       (5) the final rule of the Administrator of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency entitled ``Carbon Pollution 
     Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric 
     Utility Generating Units'' (80 Fed. Reg. 64662 (October 23, 
     2015)) (referred to in this section as the ``Clean Power 
     Plan''), has put the United States on a path to cut carbon 
     emissions from the electricity sector by 32 percent from 2005 
     levels by 2030 and transition to a clean energy economy;
       (6) to adequately address the threat of climate change to 
     the United States economy, the President who takes office in 
     January 2017, will need to fully implement the Clean Power 
     Plan and other elements of the Climate Action Plan of 
     President Obama and develop additional measures to continue 
     progress toward greater reduction in greenhouse gas emissions 
     and a faster transition to clean energy; and
       (7) the President who takes office in January 2017, should 
     work with Congress to develop a comprehensive plan by June 1, 
     2017, that--
       (A) builds on the Climate Action Plan of President Obama; 
     and
       (B) continues--
       (i) carbon emission reductions by the United States; and
       (ii) global leadership of the United States in addressing 
     climate change.
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