Boyle Statement on Trump Decision to Withdraw from Paris Climate Accord

Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13), a Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord:

"I am incredibly disappointed that President Trump is withdrawing our country from the Paris Climate Accord, the landmark voluntary agreement between 195 countries to collectively address the growing threat of global climate change. This decision erodes our alliances and international standing, makes us less safe, and puts us at an economic disadvantage as other nations develop the clean energy economy of the future. President Trump's failure to capture the opportunities associated with leading the global effort against climate change demonstrates a lack of vision and a propensity to put politics above all else.

"All Americans should be deeply concerned by the President's retreat from American leadership and ideals on the global stage, from climate change to human rights. This combined with the President's failure to fully support NATO, signals to the world that under his leadership our country is in a state of withdrawal. The United States, the leader in reaching the 2015 agreement, is the second highest emitter of greenhouse gases. Previously, only Syria and Nicaragua declined to join the agreement. I cannot believe that President Trump would choose to join these ranks with this historic mistake. Rather than ‘negotiating better deals', the President is removing us from the bargaining table altogether."