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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 Democrats and the 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 for his views "in advance of a climate treaty to be negotiated at an international conference." Clinton agreed to support Lay's proposal of a carbon emissions trading exchange<ref>As did Barack Obama. [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/25/obama-years-ago-helped-fund-carbon-program-pushing-congress/ Obama Years Ago Helped Fund Carbon Program He Is Now Pushing Through Congress,] By Ed Barnes, March 25, 2009. FoxNews.com </ref> which Enron hoped to profit hugely, while American consumers would pay steep price increases for electricity and natural gas. Enron also asked for and received from Clinton's Export-Import Bank a $300 million loan to build a power plant in India. Four days later Enron donated $100, which critics describe as [[crony capitalism]]000 to the Clinton-Gore campaign.