Kerry on climate bill: ‘We’re still fighting, it’s very much alive’

Graham is furious that Democratic leaders may “haphazardly” push an immigration bill that he calls an election-year political maneuver. His decision to suspend his support for the climate push deals a major blow to hopes of passing a bipartisan bill.

Kerry, in his statement Monday, noted New York Times columnist Tom Friedman’s reaction Sunday to the bill’s setback – Friedman said they’re “high-fiving” in Beijing, adding “This means the Americans are going to be paralyzed on green tech, okay, for another couple of years” and that China is moving aggressively on wind and solar production.

“We need to get back on track for exactly those reasons Tom identified. Because this is about something bigger – it’s about our country – and our leadership, America’s leadership,” Kerry wrote.

Kerry added:

“So don’t get too caught up in the inside-the-Beltway parlor game of declaring reform efforts ‘dead.’ We’re still pushing, we’re still talking, we’re still fighting, it’s very much alive – and I won’t quit until they’re high-fiving on Main Street America not Beijing, Tehran, or Caracas.”