Kerry Rallies Climate Bill Supporters

The Senate’s Democratic champion of the stalled climate and energy legislation called on supporters on Wednesday to keep the pressure on legislators to act this year. “[B]ottom line: we have to pass comprehensive legislation this year or I believe we never will,” wrote John Kerry in an email.

The note compared reports of the bill’s death to the famed “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline of 1948 (which, of course, was wrong), and assured supporters that he is working to keep the bill on track.

Here’s the full letter to supporters:

Just a quick check-in as I know you’ve been reading and hearing a lot about the alleged “death” of comprehensive climate and energy legislation. Feels like it’s practically a rite of passage for important legislation—how many times was health care reform declared “dead” before it passed?

But, bottom-line: we have to pass comprehensive legislation this year or I believe we never will. I am working this 24-7, and these past 72 hours I can tell you it quite literally feels 24-7—so let me assure you: these headlines are like the famous “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline from 1948. And we need that Give Em Hell Harry spirit because there’s one thing he knew – and one thing I remember from back in Iowa when the pundits wrote us off—if you fight hard enough and keep at it, you can get where you need to go.

Lindsey Graham, Joe Lieberman and I are talking every day—talked a few times yesterday – and I know we can get back on track. I will keep you in the loop on things, and to keep up with what’s happening, follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JohnKerry. I’ll be updating it real-time before reality gets bounced through the echo chamber of DC and spun a hundred different ways.

There’s going to be more twists and turns ahead. There always are. But we’re keeping our eye on the prize—ending our dependence on foreign oil that makes Iran $100 million dollaswrs richer each day and has our planet headed towards a catastrophic tipping point.