Obama Praises Bill, But Opposes Tariff Provisions. By Steven Mufson, WashPost, June 29, 2009. "President Obama said on Sunday that the House took an 'extraordinary first step' by passing a climate bill on Friday, adding that he hoped it will 'prod' action by the Senate and predicting that the legislation could make renewable energy 'a driver of economic growth'... But he said he hopes that Congress will strip out a clause that would impose a tariff in 2020 on imports from countries without systems for pricing or limiting carbon dioxide emissions. 'At a time when the economy worldwide is still deep in recession and we've seen a significant drop in global trade, I think we have to be very careful about sending any protectionist signals out,' Obama said. He said other portions of the House bill provide protections for energy-intensive U.S. manufacturers worried about competition from such nations as China and India. 'I am very mindful of wanting to make sure that there's a level playing field internationally,' the president said. 'I think there may be other ways of doing it than with a tariff approach.' In an interview with a small group of energy reporters in the Oval Office, Obama had few other criticisms as he savored last week's narrow victory in the House on one of his top domestic priorities: a climate bill designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency." Transcript of White House Interview on Climate-Change Bill.