House Democrats Pass Historic Bill To Rebuke Trump on Paris Agreement

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the House of Representatives -- led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel, Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone and Select Committee Chair Kathy Castor -- passed H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act. This is the first piece of climate legislation the House has passed in nearly 10 years, and the bill passed with bipartisan support.

Nearly two years after Donald Trump announced his disastrous plan to withdraw the U.S. from the landmark Paris Agreement, the Climate Action Now Act will ensure that Trump is unable to follow through on his reckless and ill-informed threat by prohibiting the administration from spending money on Paris withdrawal and requiring the administration to produce a plan for meeting our international commitments.  

At the time of Trump’s announcement to withdraw from Paris, a majority of Americans in all 50 states supported U.S. participation in the historic deal. Earlier today, it was reported that the Trump Administration pushed to exclude the mere mention of the Paris Agreement in the international Arctic Council declaration. The Agreement, which entered into force on November 4, 2016, has been signed by every nation on earth, and the earliest the U.S. will be able to complete Trump’s withdrawal is November 4, 2020, one day after the next U.S. Presidential election.

In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s attempt to withdraw the United States from this landmark agreement remains one of the most egregious and misguided decisions of his presidency. Ensuring that the U.S. has a seat at the table and a plan to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement should be a question of leadership, not partisanship. H.R. 9 is an important opportunity for every member of Congress to affirm on the record that the U.S. must be a leader in addressing the climate crisis.

“The Sierra Club applauds Speaker Pelosi, Representatives Engel, Pallone and Castor, and House Democrats for once again listening to the American people and demonstrating what strong climate leadership looks like. In order to protect public health, create family-sustaining clean energy jobs, and provide a livable future, we must tackle the climate crisis. House Democrats recognize that the Paris Agreement provides a critical pathway for taking on the climate challenge while increasing global cooperation and investing in the booming clean energy economy.”