Post-vacation Obama busy on energy, Iran

Obama holds hands with his daughter Malia as the Obama family disembark Air Force One upon their return to Washington after a two-week vacation on Martha’s Vineyard.

Reuters/WashingtonPresident Barack Obama, fresh from vacation and nine rounds of golf on Martha’s Vineyard, is launching into a busy two weeks promoting renewable energy and his nuclear deal with Iran.With the US presidential election campaign and China’s stock market dominating headlines, Obama was set to speak in Las Vegas on clean energy, then travel to New Orleans on Thursday to mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.As he stepped off Air Force One in Washington on Sunday night, savouring the last moments of family time, Obama held the hand of eldest daughter Malia, who will soon start her final year of high school in Washington.The last 16 months of Obama’s presidency will likely be overshadowed by the 2016 presidential campaign and while Congress does not appear willing to tackle difficult issues, Obama has a to-do list.At Senator Harry Reid’s National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas, Obama will promote steps that the White House announced yesterday to try to shift US energy away from carbon-producing sources such as coal and toward renewables such as solar.The steps, taken as executive actions, include increased loan guarantees for renewable energy developers and help for homeowners with solar power installations.Taking his climate change message further afield, Obama will leave on August 31 for a four-day trip to Alaska to focus on the effects of a warming climate on the Arctic.Back in Washington, Congress will not return from its long summer vacation for two more weeks.When it does, lawmakers will have until September 17 to act on a US-led international deal backed by Obama to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for easing economic sanctions.Obama has built support for the agreement in the Senate.On Sunday, it won the endorsement of Reid, the Democrats’ leader in the Senate. Yesterday Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow also came out in favour of it.In coming weeks, the White House was also expected to send to Congress a plan for transitioning detainees out of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.