Paris Agreement is Fundamentally Flawed

Floor Speech

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Mr. FULCHER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join the members of the Western Caucus for this important Special Order.

Let me start by saying that my home State of Idaho has been a good example of how to utilize renewable energy resources.

According to the Energy Information Administration, in 2017, 82 percent of Idaho's net electricity generation came from renewable energy sources, and 60 percent was supplied by hydroelectric power.

Idaho's use of renewable energy technology came about because we are blessed with bountiful natural resources in our State. But, Mr. Speaker, not every State is blessed with those renewable natural resources and many have to rely on nonrenewable sources of energy.

However, because the Federal Government controls 63 percent of the land in Idaho, many of those resources are not accessible and, all too often, literally go up in smoke.

Sole Federal control of resources inhibits economic growth, harms the environment, and has created numerous obstacles for our citizens due to inadequate management.

H.R. 9 and the Paris Agreement represent a similar obstacle to every State and every district my colleagues represent.

H.R. 9 would reinstate the one-size-fits-all mandates of the Paris Agreement and require the U.S. to drastically change the only ways that we generate electricity.

What has enabled the United States to lead the world in reducing carbon emissions is locally-driven solutions that fit the need of our local citizens, whether it be clean, liquid natural gas in Texas, hydropower in Idaho, or solar facilities in Arizona.

The Paris Agreement is an attack on our national sovereignty and received no congressional input when it was enacted in 2015. In fact, we are one of only 12 countries that signed the agreement that did not include their legislative branch in that adoption process. Mr. Speaker, even China's legislature was consulted in the adoption of the agreement.

The flawed Paris Agreement has committed the United States to getting billions of dollars to the Green Climate Fund while many countries don't contribute at all. All too often, that money ends up in the hands of governments who have no intention of using it to reduce their carbon emissions.

This agreement forces jobs to relocate to areas with the poorest environmental records, like China, which only makes matters worse. Instead of focusing on spending money paying for projects to reduce carbon emissions in other countries, the Democrat majority in this House should focus on the immediate pressures facing this country, like border security and healthcare reform.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this terrible proposal.

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