The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee began debating the climate bill on Tuesday with hearings from four high-ranking officials, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson.

The senate is expected to pass a comprehensive bill that can coincide with the legislation called the American Clean Energy and Security Act 2009 which the House passed in June aimed at cutting emissions of gases linked to global warming.

Denial of the climate change problem will not change our destiny; a comprehensive energy and climate bill that caps and then reduces carbon emissions will, Energy Secretary Chu told the Senate's committee chaired by Barbara Boxer today. America has the opportunity to lead a new industrial revolution of creating sustainable, clean energy. We can sit on the sidelines and deny the scientific facts, or we can get in the game and play to win, he said.

The Senate's Finance Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee will hold meetings on Wednesday, regarding climate legislation as the first among several hearings in the Democratic-led chamber. The Environment and Public Works committee hearings have scheduled more hearings on July 14 and July 16.

All committees have a deadline on Sept 18 to clear their pieces of the legislation.

The live broadcast of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearings are available to public on C-SPAN channel.

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