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Tonko Co-Sponsors H.R. 9: Climate Action Now Act

Legislation would block Trump departure from Paris Accord, map out path forward for emissions reductions

WASHINGTONPaul Tonko, Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment & Climate Change, is co-sponsoring H.R. 9: the Climate Action Now Act. This new legislation renders President Trump’s push to leave the Paris Climate Accord impotent and instead requires the Administration to release a plan for how the United States will meet its voluntary commitment under the accord to reduce dangerous greenhouse gas pollution.

“Americans are living, and dying, in the path of unprecedented flooding, raging wildfires, and battering storms driven by Earth’s changing climate,” Tonko said. “Regardless of the origins of our predicament, we have inherited these conditions. It falls to us to set aside past disagreements and rise together to meet this challenge. We agree that climate change is real. We agree humans are driving it. We agree that we need to build solutions that meet the scale and urgency of the crisis we face. The bill introduced today would ensure we do not take any further steps backward by protecting the progress we have made and mapping out a path forward that reduces climate pollution.”

The Climate Action Now Act would prohibit any federal funds from being used to take any action to advance the withdrawal of the U.S. from the landmark Paris Agreement.  It also calls on the President to develop and make public a plan for how the United States will meet our commitment to reduce pollution.  Despite the President’s unilateral declaration withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement and his refusal to take the threat of the climate crisis seriously, the United States remains obligated to uphold our commitments to our global partners.

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