U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2009)

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
October 9, 2009

PRESS BRIEFING BY PRESS SECRETARY ROBERT GIBBS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:12 P.M. EDT

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Q: The Nobel Prize Committee said specifically that it also values his efforts in the climate change policy.  Do you think that the prize will give new momentum to the climate bill?  And does it increase the chance that he won't be -- or won't come empty-handed to Copenhagen?

MR. GIBBS: Look, I think that obviously we're continuing to work on, in conjunction with Congress, ensuring that we're continuing to make progress on that important legislation.  Some legislation has now been introduced in the Senate.  As I mentioned here a couple weeks ago, it's now through the House earlier this summer.

So I think it's important for the world to understand that the United States is taking, granted, long overdue but important steps to ensuring that we're part of that solution.  But I think as the President said earlier today, the problems that he outlined and the challenges that we have are not going to be solved by one man, they're not going to be solved by one nation, unless or until other developing nations -- the Chinese, the Indians, the Brazilians -- also come to that larger table with solutions that are not just voluntary but that embody, again, international collective action to address that issue.

Obviously the President has staked -- has promised and staked his belief that it is important to do this, and we will continue to work on it through the end of the year.  If it happens, we'd certainly be proud to do that and go to Copenhagen with it.

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END
12:57 P.M. EDT