Yesterday, two powerful House Democrats introduced a new climate bill that is substantially weaker than climate change legislation released in the last year. Rep John Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) have been promising a bill for quite some time, and have spent much of the last Congress discussing various aspects of a climate bill in detailed white papers.

Despite such deliberations, there are a couple crucial elements that the Chairman failed to consider:

• Cut Carbon 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, in accordance with the IPCC. Dingell's bill only cuts global warming pollution 6% from current levels in the short term—a position that lags behind both McCain and Obama, each of whom advocate for 14% cuts by 2020;
• Make polluters pay, and invest in the future. Dingell's draft bill includes the option of sending huge giveaways to polluting industry. We need to create a policy that keeps working class families in mind - not just utilities. By recycling auction revenue back to the people (not industry), and investing in clean energy, we can create millions of green jobs and put hardworking communities at the table—not big business.

The next administration will support policies that are closer to what the science demands, and perhaps that value main street just as much as big industry. National climate legislation has to be enacted soon, and it must be guided by the science first. Global warming will multiply existing inequalities all over the world—and our policies must seek to counteract that at all turns. We have the potential to create millions of new jobs, and create a safer, cleaner world. This bill demonstrates more than ever that the forces of the status quo are still holding us back from real action on climate change.

With both presidential candidates closer to science-based targets than they are, it's time to tell Washington to step it up! Next month, leaders from all over the world will come together in Poland for international climate negotiations. Let's send them a clear message that America is ready for bold climate action!