[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 199 (Tuesday, November 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S8316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NO. 117-1

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the 
following treaty transmitted to the Senate on November 16, 2021, by the 
President of the United States: Amendment to Montreal Protocol ``Kigali 
Amendment,'' Treaty Document No. 117-1. I further ask that the treaty 
be considered as having been read the first time; that it be referred, 
with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
ordered to be printed; and that the President's message be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The message of the President is as follows:

To the Senate of the United States:
  With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to 
ratification, I transmit herewith the Amendment to the Montreal 
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (the ``Montreal 
Protocol''), adopted at Kigali on October 15, 2016, by the Twenty-
Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (the ``Kigali 
Amendment''). The report of the Department of State is also enclosed 
for the information of the Senate.
  The principal features of the Kigali Amendment provide for a gradual 
phasedown in the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons 
(HFCs), which are alternatives to ozone-depleting substances being 
phased out under the Montreal Protocol, as well as related provisions 
concerning reporting, licensing, control of trade with non-Parties, and 
control of certain byproduct emissions.
  The United States has sufficient domestic authority to implement 
obligations under the Kigali Amendment, including through the American 
Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (the ``AIM Act'') and the 
Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency's recent rulemakings 
under the AIM Act establish a domestic HFC allocation system and other 
provisions that would enable the United States to begin implementation 
of the provisions of the Kigali Amendment.
  The Kigali Amendment has strong support from the U.S. business 
community and nongovernmental organizations. Ratification by the United 
States would advance U.S. interests in remaining a leader in the 
development and deployment of HFC alternatives, ensuring access to 
rapidly growing refrigeration and cooling markets overseas and 
stimulating U.S. investment, exports, and job growth in this sector. 
Ratification will also ensure the United States continues to have a 
full voice to represent U.S. economic and environmental interests as 
implementation of the Kigali Amendment moves forward in coming years.
  The Kigali Amendment entered into force on January 1, 2019, and there 
are currently 124 Parties to the Amendment. The Senate has given its 
advice and consent to ratification of all four previous amendments to 
the Montreal Protocol, with bipartisan support. I recommend that the 
Senate give favorable consideration to the Kigali Amendment and give 
its advice and consent to ratification at the earliest date.
                                                Joseph R. Biden, Jr.,  
The White House, November 16, 2021.

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