President Barack Obama's $3.55 trillion budget, unveiled on Thursday, sticks to his proposal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by selling all emission permits to industries. Some members of Congress, including Democrats, disagree and want to give away at least 50 percent of permits initially to help transition to a lower-carbon economy. Critics worry that charging companies for emissions could harm the economy. The plan is expected to generate $646 billion in revenue over the first few years, according to White House budget director Peter Orszag. He confirmed that there would be no changes to the climate proposal, despite not providing all the details yet. In the previous year's presidential campaign, Obama expressed his preference for all emissions permits to be sold rather than given away, but he has indicated a possible willingness to be flexible on this issue. Under Obama's plan, there would be a cap on the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from various sources like coal-fired power plants, oil refineries, and cars. Companies exceeding the limit would need to purchase emissions credits from companies emitting less. The Congressional Budget Office emphasized that the purpose of this cap-and-trade system is to incentivize companies to reduce emissions, rather than simply giving away allowances. Elmendorf stated that revenue from auctioning emissions could reach $1.2 trillion over a decade, leading to increased costs for emitting companies that will be reflected in higher prices. Some of the revenues from Obama's budget for the cap-and-trade plan are intended to be given back to consumers to help counteract these price increases. Elmendorf emphasized that a price increase is necessary to incentivize behavior change, and while it can be distributed differently, it cannot be avoided entirely. A cap-and-trade bill, sponsored by Representative Henry Waxman, is currently moving through Congress. Waxman, a California Democrat who chairs the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, is pushing for the bill to be passed by the end of May. However, a senior Republican suggested that the bill could be delayed for a few months while the committee focuses on healthcare reform. This delay could give Democrats more time to gather support for the climate change legislation, according to Representative Joe Barton, a Texas Republican. Some Democrats on the panel, such as Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, believe that industry may initially be given emission permits under a cap-and-trade plan, rather than having to auction them off, for the first 10 or 15 years of the program. While President Obama prefers to address carbon emissions through legislation, he also has the option of using regulation to achieve the same goal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated recently that greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to human health, and as such, can be controlled as a pollutant.