RIGHT vs WRONG, CLIMATE FIGHT TODAY AT CONGRESS - GORE Overcomes Objections, GINGRICH Looks Foolish

Gore’s testimony will be followed today by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who plans to blast the bill. Photo: AP photo composite by POLITICO

Former Vice President Al Gore pushed Congress to find the “moral courage” to create a cap-and-trade system, endorsing a sweeping climate change proposal as “one of the most important pieces of legislation ever introduced in the Congress.”

“I believe this legislation has the moral significance equivalent to that of the civil rights legislation of the 1960s and the Marshall Plan of the late 1940s,” he said in testimony delivered to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday morning.

Gore’s testimony will be followed today by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who plans to blast the bill as “wrong for our national security ... wrong for our economy,” while detailing his own 38-point climate change plan — which he pitches as “green conservatism.”

The two party leaders are testifying back to back after days of hearings that included dozens of witnesses from business, government and environmental groups to testify on the controversial legislation. Friday’s panel included former Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia, who supported taking action on climate change but cautioned against moving too quickly.

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