WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), U.S. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), and a group of Senate Republican colleagues introduced the No Climate Treaties Act, which would mandate U.S. Senate approval for the United States to join or rejoin any international climate agreement.
“Louisiana families deserve a say in deals that affect their wallets,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We’re making sure nobody can sign America up for a bad deal without our input.”
“Democrat administrations have a history of ignoring the will of the American people and bypassing Senate approval to unilaterally join costly international climate treaties,” said Senator Barrasso. “Climate treaties, like the Paris climate agreement, often set unworkable targets designed to put America at a competitive disadvantage with other countries. They also cost American taxpayers billions of dollars and raise energy prices for working families. The No Climate Treaties Act makes it clear that the United States will no longer join any international climate treaty without Senate approval. This will ensure the American people have the final say on where their tax dollars go.”
Under the legislation, which was introduced on the same week the United States officially withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, any climate agreement, including the Paris Agreement, must be treated as a treaty requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate according to Article II of the Constitution. It would also restrict the use of federal funds to implement or comply with any international climate agreement that has not secured this required Senate approval.
Cassidy and Barrasso were joined by U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ashley Moody (R-FL), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Kennedy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), James Risch (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Rand Paul (R-KY) in introducing the legislation.
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