Sen. Cruz: Biden Chooses Paris Over Pittsburgh
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today issued a statement following President Biden's executive action rejoining America to the Paris Climate Agreement:
"By signing this order, President Biden indicates that he's more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh. Rejoining the Paris agreement isn't about ‘restoring America's leadership abroad' or ‘solving the climate crisis,' but instead it is about Democrats' plans to destroy jobs they don't like - including thousands of manufacturing jobs - and cede control of our energy future to other countries. America's ‘commitment' to the Paris Climate Agreement will be used by the Biden administration as justification for a whole litany of new executive actions and burdensome federal regulations to shape our energy and environmental policy - which will burden American families, manufacturers, and businesses with higher energy costs at a time when they are already struggling.
"If the Biden administration believes that rejoining the agreement is something the American people should support, then he should submit the Paris Climate Agreement to the Senate as a treaty and let the people decide through their elected representatives. But he knows that it would fail. So like his Democratic predecessor, President Biden is governing by executive fiat.
"Without the Paris Climate Agreement, the United States has led the world in emissions reductions. Likewise, the United States over the last 50 years has dramatically reduced the levels of some of the most harmful pollutants and improved the air quality for all Americans, while at the same time helping more people get better paying jobs and improving their lives.
"Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement will do little to affect the climate, and will harm the livelihoods of everyday Americans all across the country. I'll continue working with my colleagues to fight for blue-collar workers and to defend America's energy independence."
BACKGROUND:
According to one analysis, the regulations necessary to meet the original commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement would result in the loss of 400,000 American manufacturing jobs and would cost families of four $20,000 in lost income over a nearly 20-year period.
This estimate is based on former-President Obama's commitments. Upon rejoining the agreement President Biden will submit his own commitments which are expected to be even more extreme than his Democratic predecessor.
In December 2020, Sen. Cruz urged the Trump administration to submit both the Iran Nuclear Deal and Paris Climate Agreement to the Senate as formal treaties.
In May 2017, Sen. Cruz urged President Trump to act on his campaign promise to "rip up" the Paris Climate Agreement in an op-ed on CNN.com, where he wrote, "We simply cannot afford an agreement that puts thousands of Americans out of work, increases their energy costs and devastates our core industries." Read Sen. Cruz's op-ed here. Shortly thereafter, President Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the agreement.
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