US EPA: delaying on climate would hurt economy

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Environmental Protection Administrator Lisa Jackson said on Monday delaying agency action on climate change would hurt the economy.

President Barack Obama is pressing the EPA to take steps to regulate greenhouse gases as the climate bill stalls in the Senate.

Senator Lisa Murkowski is trying to stop EPA from taking steps under the Clean Air Act on climate pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks.

"Supposedly these efforts have been put forward to protect jobs," Jackson told a meeting at the National Press Club. "In reality, they will have serious negative economic effects." (Reporting by Timothy Gardner,)