Obama will focus on energy bill after bank reform
This is one of these foundational priorities from my perspective that has to be done soon, Obama said, referring to energy legislation at a meeting of chief executives and other officials who make up part of his outside economic advisory board.
The House of Representatives passed a bill last year that would require the United States to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases by 17 percent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels.
The Senate has not passed a similar measure but a bipartisan group of senators including Democrat John Kerry, Republican Lindsey Graham and independent Joe Lieberman are expected to produce a bill in the coming weeks.
As has been noted, theres been a good bipartisan discussion taking place within the Senate around a mechanism that would put a prize on carbon, Obama said.
In terms of timing, financial regulatory reform will take several more weeks and then, you know, well probably be transitioning next to look at what can be done on the energy front.
Obama urged business leaders to voice their support for climate legislation to lawmakers.
Some environmentalists have questioned how big a priority Obama will make climate legislation on his long list of domestic policy priorities.
Related News

Canada's looming power problem is massive but not insurmountable: report
OTTAWA - Canada must build more electricity generation in the next 25 years than it has over the last century in order to support a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, says a new report from the Public Policy Forum.
Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and shifting to emissions-free electricity to propel our cars, heat our homes and run our factories will require doubling — possibly tripling — the amount of power we make now, the federal government estimates.
"Imagine every dam, turbine, nuclear plant and solar panel across Canada and then picture a couple more next to them," said the report,…