Burdensome Paris Climate Agreement
On June 1, 2017, President Trump acted on a campaign promise to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. And, on Monday, November 4th, exactly three years from the date in which the agreement was entered, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took the formal steps to begin the withdrawal process. This action, according to article 28 of the Paris Agreement, could only begin three years from the date on which the agreement was signed.
Also on Monday, Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) introduced H.Res. 676 to formally withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. House Republicans are aware of the dangers this Agreement poses to our economy. The Agreement’s regulations are estimated to cost the U.S. $3 trillion in reduced output, 6 million industrial jobs, and about 3 million manufacturing jobs. The Paris Agreement is “an attack on “the forgotten man,” American workers, their jobs and our standard of living.”
However, House Democrats have overlooked how the Agreement will hurt Americans. In May, the caucus attempted to stop the President’s decision through the Climate Action Now Act’s passage (H.R. 9). This legislation, which passed almost entirely on party lines, sought to stop the President’s decision by prohibiting federal funds from contributing to the removal efforts. The bill also included language forcing the President to create a plan for how the U.S. will meet the strenuous and unrealistic pollution reduction goals agreed to in the Paris Agreement by President Obama. Thankfully, the Senate has done nothing to act on this legislation.
Eagle Forum is thankful that the United States will no longer be bound by the Paris Agreement. We are grateful to the President for following through with his campaign promise and for House Republicans who support the decision.