In July 1997, Enron CEO Ken Lay met with President Bill Clinton and Vice President [[Al Gore]] in the [[Oval Office]]. Clinton, Lay, and Gore discussed approval of the [[Kyoto protocol]]s on carbon emissions. Lay told Enron employees Bill Clinton solicited Lay's views "in advance of a climate treaty to be negotiated at an international conference" And Lay said Clinton agreed to support Lay's policy of an emissions-trading system from which Enron plans to profit hugely while American consumers pay steep price increases for electricity and natural gas.
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In July 1997, Enron CEO Ken Lay met with President Bill Clinton and Vice President [[Al Gore]] in the [[Oval Office]]. Enron had begun a pattern of soft money donations to the Democrats and Clinton White House years earlier. Clinton, Lay, and Gore discussed approval of the [[Kyoto protocol]]s on carbon emissions.<ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2002/jan/16/20020116-034901-2826r/#ixzz2OnPBZwzl Enron gave cash to Democrats, sought pact help,] ''The Washington Times'', January 16, 2002. <ref> Clinton asked Lay's for his views "in advance of a climate treaty to be negotiated at an international conference" Clinton agreed to support Lay's policy of an emissions-trading system from which Enron hoped to profit hugely while American consumers paid steep price increases for electricity and natural gas.
The Republican Senate rejected the Kyoto treaty by a 95-to-0 vote on August 15, 1997.
The Republican Senate rejected the Kyoto treaty by a 95-to-0 vote on August 15, 1997.