WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - One-fourth of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including its Democratic leaders, said on Tuesday the energy bill being assembled by House and Senate negotiators should address global climate change.
In a letter to the four lawmakers in charge of the negotiations, 108 representatives said, "We believe prudent action is needed to address the environmental and economic impacts of climate change."
At the same time, the Bush administration described its work on climate change. The work ranges from improved monitoring of changes in the climate to steps for voluntary reductions in emissions of so-called greenhouse gases.
House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, a Democrat from Missouri, and Democratic House Whip Nancy Pelosi of California, whose formal title is assistant minority leader, were among representatives signing the bipartisan letter.
The letter lauded "common sense steps" in the U.S. Senate version of the energy bill that would require public disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions by large factories and power plants; create a White House office on climate change; encourage U.S. participation in global talks on climate change, and expand research and innovative technology.
"Our climate is changing and if the current system continues, we are headed toward drastic disruptions in our climate," said Rep. John Olver, Massachusetts Democrat and a co-author of the letter.
Olver's office said the climate change provisions of the compromise House-Senate bill might be approved in the next few days.