MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., reiterated their support of President Donald Trump pulling the United States out of the Paris climate agreement during separate appearances Friday on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Trump said Thursday the United States would withdraw out of the accord, which is aimed at limiting the increase of global temperatures to 2.7 degrees and assisting countries in dealing with the impact of climate change.
Only two other countries — Nicaragua and Syria — are not part of the agreement, which the United States signed in April 2016.
Both senators said they believe human activity is contributing to a changing climate, but the United States would be treated unfairly under the agreement.
“I think it adds jeopardy to our economy and our jobs, and I’m going to stand up for our economy and our jobs every day,” Capito said.
Trump cited a report from the National Economic Research Associates Economic Consulting during his address. The report stated coal production would decrease by 86 percent by 2040 under the Paris accord.
The American Council for Capital Formation Center for Policy Research and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy sponsored the study.
Manchin told “Talkline” host Hoppy Kercheval the use of coal allowed the United States to become a global superpower, and change is needed though not immediately.
“There might be a new technology — I’ve said this before, commercial hydrogen, which is going to be water vapor if you will,” he said. “That’s great, but we’re not there yet. So, why cripple ourselves?”
During her appearance, Capito talked about the Green Climate Fund, which the United States pledged to pay $3 billion of the $10.3 billion fund. Only $1 billion has been put forward as of May 12.
According to the Green Climate Fund‘s website, it is an “initiative to respond to climate change by investing into low-emission and climate-resilient development.”
“President (Barack) Obama would put (funding) through the State Department budget and not let Congress have an up-or-down vote on it,” said Capito, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We never even got to see this treaty, which it is a treaty. They call it an accord but a treaty. It never came before the Senate. We should be debating these issues on the Senate floor.”
One of the Senate’s constitutional duties is approving resolutions of treaty ratification, which requires a two-thirds vote. The Senate did approve the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, in which signees agreed to work together in combatting climate change.
Manchin and Capito said they are looking forward to renegotiating a better deal.
“I think we can say, ‘Hey, China. Hey, India. You want access to this market? Then use the technology we have been using for the last two to three decades, proving that we can clean up this environment and let’s find a new one for the technology that’s going to take (carbon dioxide),'” Manchin said.
The United States will officially withdraw from the Paris climate agreement in November 2020.