Republicans Freak Out After Obama Formally Commits US To Paris Climate Change Agreement

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:08 pm

Republicans are having themselves a Labor Day weekend meltdown after President Obama formally committed the US to participation in the Paris climate change agreement.

Video clip of President Obama:

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The President said:

Now, just as I believe the Paris Agreement will ultimately prove to be a turning point for our planet, I believe that history will judge today’s efforts as pivotal. For the agreement to enter into force, as has already been stated, 55 countries representing 55 percent of global emissions must formally join. Together, the U.S. and China represent about 40 percent of global emissions. So today, we are moving the world significantly closer to the goal that we have set.

We have a saying in America — that you need to put your money where your mouth is. And when it comes to combatting climate change, that’s what we’re doing, both the United States and China. We’re leading by example. As the world’s two largest economies and two largest emitters, our entrance into this agreement continues the momentum of Paris, and should give the rest of the world confidence –- whether developed or developing countries -– that a low-carbon future is where the world is heading.

The Republican reaction to President Obama achieving a historic agreement that could pave the way for more clean energy jobs in the US was to freak out.

The Heritage Foundation reacted by screaming power grab. Steven Groves, a senior research fellow at Heritage, said, “President Obama’s decision today to ‘ratify’ the Paris Agreement on climate change in conjunction with China is a shameful, unilateral power grab. The White House has long sought to call the Paris Agreement anything other than a ‘treaty’ in order to avoid the Senate’s advice and consent role under Article II of the Constitution. But let’s be clear – the Paris Agreement is a treaty by every definition of the word and should be submitted to the Senate for its consideration. This action by the president is an intentional end-run around the American people and their elected representatives, done to advance an ineffective, expensive climate agreement. The U.S. should stay out of the Paris Agreement.”

Climate change denier Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) said, “It’s no wonder Americans will never support this deal, especially when our president promises unrealistic and economically harmful emission reductions of up to 28 percent that will send more jobs overseas and reduce our global competitiveness in the marketplace.”

It would have been nice to hear from the Republican presidential nominee on this issue, but Donald Trump has been busy posting tweets trying to spin the polls to make it look like he is winning the election.

When Republicans use the words the power grab in relation to President Obama it is a synonym for progress. Republicans oppose all progress. The practical outcome of their ideology is visible in the fact that not a single significant piece of legislation has been passed since they took control of both the House and Senate.

The Republican Party is not a party of ideas or legislation. Republicans are an anti-progress collective. President Obama committed to progress and a future that the Republican Party may have already lost.

The GOP freakout isn’t about climate change or Obama. Republicans are freaking out because the country is passing them by, and they are being left behind.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association