“President Obama continues to put a priority on things that he expects to help his legacy, not on the things that the American public actually are concerned about. Well, as elected representatives, we should not allow the president to buy a legacy for himself using American taxpayer dollars.”
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding President Obama’s support for the United Nations climate proposal recently signed in Paris:
Transcript of Senator Barrasso’s remarks:
“Over the weekend, countries meeting in Paris signed a broad new climate agreement. President Obama called the agreement a success.
“He said it was a ‘strong agreement.’
“Well, despite the fanfare, let’s keep some things in perspective.
“There are important parts of this agreement that can do a great deal of damage to American jobs and to the American economy. And that should be, and is a big concern to the American people.
“Parts of the agreement can do damage to our jobs and our economy.
“At the same time, important parts are not binding on other countries.
“The American people are right to wonder if the White House has signed yet another terrible deal just to try to shore up the president’s legacy.
“Earlier this year, President Obama was so anxious, so desperate to get a deal with Iran over its nuclear program, that the president signed a terrible deal.
“Since then, the International Atomic Energy Agency says that Iran has ‘seriously undermined’ the agency’s ability to verify what Iran has done.
“Well, here we are again.
“It’s another bad deal, and other countries who signed it, well they are already ignoring it.
“To point, India is the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon. The agreement was on Saturday, this agreement tied plans to meet their emission targets to getting U.S. taxpayer dollars.
“Then on Monday, just yesterday, India said that it plans to double its coal output by 2020.
“Is that what President Obama calls in his mind a success?
“Well, a Gallup poll came out yesterday that showed that the American people’s biggest concern is not climate change, it’s terrorism. Only three percent of all Americans said that pollution or the environment is the most important problem facing America today.
“President Obama said that climate change is our biggest threat.
“President Obama continues to put a priority on things that he expects to help his legacy, not on the things that the American public actually are concerned about.
“Well, as elected representatives, we should not allow the president to buy a legacy for himself using American taxpayer dollars.
“I am willing to sit down with any Democrat who wants to work on a realistic, responsible, and achievable plan to make American energy as clean as we can, as fast we can, without raising costs on American families.
“That really should be our goal.
“Coming together to find a real solution, real world solution, things that work – not just signing a symbolic agreement that does not solve anything.
“Something that may make the president feel good, but doesn’t actually do good.
“Democrats and Republicans in the Senate can do it – just look at all that we’ve accomplished this year working together.”
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