Alert

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today regarding the Obama Administration’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in advance of the international climate talks in Paris, France, in December 2015:

“Just as we witnessed throughout recent negotiations with Iran and during the previous climate agreement with China, President Obama and his administration act as if Congress has no role in these discussions. That’s just flat out wrong. These costly promises should not be forced upon families and workers across America without the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. We will not stand by and allow the president to unilaterally enact bad energy policies that hurt our nation’s poorest families and young people the most. I’ll continue working with my colleagues to ensure Americans’ voices are heard.”

Blunt introduced an amendment to the FY2016 budget last week that established a spending-neutral reserve fund to require the advice and consent of the Senate before any bilateral or international agreement regarding greenhouse gas emissions aimed at combatting global climate change has any force or effect within the United States. To read the amendment, which was co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (Okla.), please click here.

In January 2015, a majority of Blunt’s colleagues voted for an amendment that he introduced expressing a Sense of the Senate that President Obama’s greenhouse gas agreement with China has no force and effect in the United States. President Obama’s China agreement requires the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. However, it allows China to increase emissions until 2030 before they even consider taking steps to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To watch Blunt’s floor remarks from January 2015, click here.