Gore, Warner push for Waxman-Markey legislation

Former Vice President Al Gore and former Senator John Warner (R-Va.) made a bipartisan push today for comprehensive energy legislation in a hearing before a House panel.

Gore called the legislation, introduced by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and including controversial cap-and-trade provisions, “one of the most important pieces of legislation ever introduced in the Congress.”

Gore won a Nobel prize for his work on climate change. His documentary film on the subject, “An Inconvenient Truth,” won an Oscar.

“Passage of this legislation will restore Americas leadership of the world and begin at long last to solve the climate crisis,” he said..

Warner backed Gore’s statements, praising the former Vice President for his tireless work.

“I just want to say to you, my dear friend, you’ve had an extraordinary public service career,” Warner said.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich will appear before the committee later today and is expected to oppose the legislation, introduced by