DeGette: Paris Climate Agreement is Key to U.S. Leadership as Well as Environment’s Future

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement after reports surfaced that President Donald J. Trump will pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement today:

"If it's true that the President plans to renege on our country's commitment to help reverse the damage wrought through pollution, he is not only wreaking havoc on United States leadership, but is also contributing to a bleak future for our planet," DeGette said. "The United States was one of the leading forces in bringing countries together in Paris in 2015. We all agreed to sensible steps to limit carbon emissions that are putting the environment at risk and creating instability around the globe, from flooding to famine to extreme, damaging weather events.

"Our country is already on a path toward a diminished role in global affairs thanks to President Trump, as developments during and just after his recent overseas trip have underscored. If he continues lurching down this path, our leadership will no longer be in question – it will cease to exist."