Washington, DC -- Vice President Gore announced new data todayshowing that last month was the warmest June on record, and he called onCongress to abandon efforts to block any educational discussion of climatechange.

"The latest data showing this June was the warmest month on recordprovide more evidence that global warming is real," the Vice Presidentsaid. "And disasters around the country, like the devastating fires inFlorida, show just how vulnerable we are to extreme weather. That is whywe must continue to develop common-sense strategies to protect futuregenerations from the grave risks of climate change."

Today's announcement follows a report by the Commerce Department'sNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that shows that each of thefirst five months of this year, January through May, set new records forglobal temperature. This new analysis means that the first six months ofthis year have set a new global temperature record -- following 1997, whichwas the warmest year on record.

The Vice President noted that additional heat in the climate systemcan lead to more extreme weather of all kinds -- more floods, more drought,and more powerful storms. For example, the absolutely devastating firesthat caused such grief to so many in Florida were a result of recordrainfall followed by record heat and drought.

The Vice President criticized the House Appropriations Committee forattaching a rider to the proposed 1999 Departments of Veterans Affairs andHousing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies appropriations billto bar federal agencies from engaging the public on the topic of climatechange. Specifically, the Appropriations Committee's bill would bar theAdministration from "conducting educational outreach or informationalseminars on policies underlying the Kyoto Protocol. . ."

"Congress' approach to global warming is: know nothing, do nothing,say nothing," Vice President Gore said. "We owe it to our children andgrandchildren to listen to what the scientists tell us about global climatechange, to speak out forcefully, and to act decisively. Numerous disastersand tragedies around the country tell us that we cannot wait."

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