Michele Bachmann on climate change and green jobs

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann revisited the issue of climate change while answering a question about her comments on drilling in the Everglades during the September 7, 2011 GOP Presidential Debate. The debate was hosted by MSNBC and Politico at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

Brian Williams, NBC News: Congresswoman Bachmann, a question about energy, back to that subject for a moment. Were you quoted correctly… and do you stand by it… as wanting to drill in the Everglades in Florida?

Michele Bachmann: The question was asked of me about that. And what I said is we have American energy resources all across this nation. And, of course, we would do it responsibly. That was my response at the time.

And on this issue on human… human activity as being the cause of climate change, I think it's important to note that the president recognized how devastating the EPA has been in their rulemaking, so much so that the president had to suspend current EPA rules that would have led to the shutting down of potentially 20 percent of all of America's coal plants.

Coal is the source that brings 45 percent of America's electricity. What we're seeing is that a political agenda is being advanced instead of a scientific agenda. And this is leading to the… to massive numbers of jobs being lost.

The president told us he wanted to be like Spain when it came to green job creation, and yet Spain has one of the highest levels of unemployment. The president is bringing that here in the United States. And I think tomorrow night, when the nation tunes in to the president, I'm afraid that we won't be seeing permanent solution. I'm afraid what we'll be seeing are temporary gimmicks and more of the same that he's given before.

Photo of Michele Bachmann courtesy of Gage Skidmore