This Friday marks the one-year anniversary of President Trump withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate treaty. The Competitive Enterprise Institute strongly supported Trump’s decision to end U.S. commitment to this harmful and unconstitutional energy-rationing scheme that would impoverish Americans.
Despite the strong language of Trump’s statement, CEI is concerned that the president has not solidified his decision, given his choice of a slow withdrawal. CEI experts argue President Trump should submit the treaty to the Senate for ratification—which President Obama should have done in the first place—and recommend it be voted down.
CEI’s energy and environmental policy experts released the following statements ahead of the anniversary:
Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell:
It’s more evident today than ever before why Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate treaty was a great decision. It removed a permanent obstacle to economic growth and stopped the war on affordable energy. That is something to celebrate because we know higher electric rates hurt American consumers and businesses alike. Just look at the manufacturing sector: Under President Obama, we lost one million manufacturing jobs in eight years; while under President Trump, we’ve gained 183,000 manufacturing jobs.
CEI Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis:
The Paris Agreement aimed at ‘deep de-carbonization,’ while President Trump aims at ‘American energy dominance.’ Those are polar opposites, and Trump should be congratulated for recognizing the incompatibility of those two paths and choosing the right one. The Paris climate treaty would have endangered America’s economic future and political independence. A thriving U.S. energy sector increases job creation and ensures our allies don’t have to depend on Russia or OPEC for their oil and gas, in addition to lowering energy costs.
CEI Senior Fellow Chris Horner:
We hope President Trump will consummate the announced withdrawal, preferably more durably than the continued pen-and-phone tit for tat—each such unilateral act being subject to a unilateral reversal. He should resolve this attempted end-run around our Constitution by doing what the French, Germans, Italians, and others did: send it to the elected body that has the express, constitutional role for approving these types of commitments. Otherwise, all of the administration’s regulatory gains could be for nothing, and American taxpayers will be left on the hook.
More from CEI on this issue:
- “Here’s How Trump Could Make a Quick (and Complete) Exit from the Paris Climate Agreement Right Now,” by Marlo Lewis (December 2017)
- “Obama’s Paris Climate Scheme Revelation,” by Chris Horner (July 2017)
- “The Legal and Economic Case Against the Paris Climate Treaty: Canceling U.S. Participation Protects Competitiveness and the Constitution,” by Marlo Lewis and Chris Horner (May 2017)
