WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Wednesday after multiple media outlets reported that President Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. President Trump later tweeted that he would decide “over the next few days”:
“Trump aides leak a supposed fact, and then the President picks up his phone and tweets something contrary. It is nearly impossible to know what is truthful from this Administration.
“Scientists, policymakers, world leaders, activists and corporate executives have all urged President Trump to remain in the Paris Agreement because the challenge of global climate change requires a worldwide, coordinated effort. The U.S. helped lead the world toward this historic agreement and leaving would be a tragic abdication of our leadership and jeopardize our national security. Remaining would show the best of American leadership and benefit the health and economic interests of the American people. I once again implore the President to be reasonable and do what is right, not what is politically expedient.”
Background:
Senator Cardin led a Senate delegation to the Paris COP21 in December 2015. Cardin is the lead author of a Senate resolution in support of U.S. leadership on climate change, and recently wrote to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson along with his colleague U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), urging him to advise the President to keep the United States in the Paris Agreement.
###