U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), serving as Senate Majority Whip, has introduced the No Climate Treaties Act with support from 23 other senators. The legislation was brought forward during the same week that the United States formally exited the Paris Climate Agreement.
The proposed bill would require that any international climate agreement, including the Paris Agreement, be treated as a treaty under Article II of the U.S. Constitution. This means such agreements would need a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate for approval. Additionally, the act would prevent federal funds from being used to implement or comply with any international climate agreement lacking this required Senate consent.
Barrasso stated, “Democrat administrations have a history of ignoring the will of the American people and bypassing Senate approval to unilaterally join costly international climate treaties. 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.”
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Kennedy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
