WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and its subcommittees that oversee funding for federal science, commerce, energy and water development agencies, issues this statement on President Obama's global warming diplomacy and upcoming appearance on Dec. 9 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen:

"Give President Obama credit for changing the game on climate change. His environmental diplomacy will finally place the United States at the forefront of efforts to save our planet.

"After almost a decade of White House inaction, even outright denial, the President travels to Copenhagen next week to assert American leadership at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. His success in Asia last month -- winning support for greenhouse gas reduction targets from China and India -- may have been overlooked by the pundits and politicians. But the world environmental community is cheering.

"President Obama's pledge to reduce United States greenhouse gas emissions is in line with targets in House legislation that I supported upon passage in June. Those targets lay down a marker for the Senate. We in Congress owe it to the American people and in fact the world community to send the President a comprehensive, action-oriented bill- a necessary complement to his global leadership in climate change."

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah