"International negotiators have been working for years on an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world to fight climate change.

The negotiations caught the American public’s attention this week when The New York Times reported that President Obama is pushing for a voluntary agreement that would allow him to bypass the Senate, which must approve all binding treaties.

The State Department denied the report, saying that since no agreement has been written, it’s premature to judge whether ratification would be necessary."

Timothy Cama reports for The Hill August 31, 2014. [2]