Cindy Carr, (202) 495-3034 or cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, North Dakota Republican Kevin Cramer and eight of his Republican colleagues in the House sent a letter to Trump calling for the U.S.’s commitment to the Paris Agreement be weakened, including a rejection of the current U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), putting forth a new pledge that supports “a future for fossil fuels,” reneging on U.S. commitments to the Green Climate Fund, and promoting the fossil fuel sector.
Today’s letter follows on the release of a bipartisan House letter yesterday calling on Trump to stay in the Paris Agreement and endorsing the current NDC. Additionally, a recent Yale Program on Climate Change Communication poll found that nearly 70 percent of Americans support participation in the Paris Agreement. Rep. Cramer received more than $200,000 from the oil and gas industry during the 2016 election.
In response, Sierra Club’s Global Climate Policy Director John Coequyt released the following statement:
"This letter is a love note to the fossil fuel industry, and it’s no surprise given Rep. Cramer’s long history of putting corporate polluters before the health of our families. Rep. Cramer’s overtures to Big Oil and Big Coal would be disastrous for everyone else, as any proposal to weaken our commitments to the Paris Agreement will not only break our promises and undermine our ability to lead around the world, but it will further the climate crisis and threaten our communities and environment. The U.S.’s commitments to the Paris Agreement are not a political pawn to be exploited for political gain. While Rep. Cramer may be trying to return the favor to his fossil fuel industry donors, communities, families, and the environment in his district and beyond will be the ones to suffer.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.7 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.