The effects of climate change and the importance of completing long-awaited waterways infrastructure legislation were among topics President Obama highlighted last week during his State of the Union address.
Climate issues were prominently featured during the first half of the speech, as the president spoke in favor of clean energy investments to reduce carbon pollution. He went on to declare: “The debate is settled. Climate change is a fact.” Obama urged Congress to respond to the problem “with more urgency,” while noting climate change “is already harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods.” He did not, however, call for new legislation to address the issue.
President Obama challenged Congress to finish work on the long-awaited “Water Resources Development Act” (WRDA) by this summer, saying the measure (along with a transportation reauthorization bill) will “protect more than three million jobs.” A conference committee of lawmakers is currently negotiating a final version of the bill but has already missed several self-imposed deadlines for reaching a deal.
The president briefly alluded to cybersecurity, pledging to “combat new threats like cyberattacks.” But the president’s remarks did not include any further details about plans to implement the cybersecurity executive order released last year.a