Kerry, Graham Keep Pushing Climate Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senators on Tuesday gave a boost to next week's global environmental summit in Copenhagen, with a senior Democrat advocating more U.S. funding of climate change efforts by poor nations and a key Republican calling for quick action on a U.S. climate bill.

Democratic Senator John Kerry, a leading advocate of climate control legislation in Congress, recommended that the Obama administration include $3 billion in next year's budget to help fund efforts to address global warming. This year's funding is about one third that amount.

Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the few Republicans willing to negotiate with Democrats on a climate change bill, told Reuters, "I think we need to act by next spring" to pass a bill limiting U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.