Sen. Gore, member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and author of the book, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit, held a news conference to preview the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit. Sen. Gore, a member of a congressional delegation travelling to Rio to observe the Earth Summit, criticized the administration’s negotiations prior to the Earth Summit for failing to take a hard stance on environmental matters. He also responded to the announcement by the president earlier in the day.