[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 21, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4879-S4880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   Recognition of the Majority Leader

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.


                       Treaty Document No. 117-1

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, 35 years ago this month, every nation on 
Earth came together for the first time in human history to sign onto a 
global accord to save the planet's dying ozone layer. It was a 
convergence unlike any before, uniting not just every member of the 
United Nations but, in time, also the European Union and even the Holy 
See.
  That accord, of course, was the Montreal Protocol, hailed by then-UN 
Secretary General Kofi Annan as ``perhaps the single most successful 
international agreement to date.''
  Today, the Senate will finish the work of ratifying the Kigali 
Amendment to the protocol when we vote later today here on the floor.
  Ratifying the Kigali Amendment will require two-thirds of the Senate, 
and I want to thank every single Member, Democratic and Republican 
alike, who voted yesterday to move forward on this measure. Our 
country, our businesses, and our planet will benefit because of it. I 
hope we can see that same level of support today.
  In a year where we have already seen plenty of major bipartisan bills 
become law, the Kigali Amendment might just be one of the most 
important bipartisan achievements to date--less heralded, but maybe 
more important--because this measure will go a long way to lowering 
global temperatures while also creating tens of thousands of American 
jobs and deal with the fact that China rarely participates in global 
cooperation when it comes to putting their own economy and jobs ahead 
of ours.
  As I have explained, the Kigali Amendment will signal the commitment 
of the United States to phase down the use of dangerous industrial 
chemicals known as HFCs by 80 percent over the next 15 years. HFCs are 
found practically in every home in America and around the world, inside 
the vast majority of refrigerators, air-conditioner units, aerosols, 
insulating foams, and more.
  Experts say that if we can meet the goals set forth by the Kigali 
Amendment, we can reduce global temperatures by about half a degree 
Celsius by the end of the century. That is huge. We struggle to get 
that reduction

[[Page S4880]]

down, to get that increase down. And this is a big, big step forward 
for that. Half a degree might sound like a rounding error to some, but 
in truth, it is very, very, very significant.
  But equally significant, however, are the tens of billions in new 
investments that will be up for grabs if we ratify this amendment.
  Every year, millions and millions of refrigerators and AC units are 
sold around the world, and the United States ranks near the top of 
refrigerator exports. All of these products will need viable HFC 
refrigerant alternatives moving forward, and we need to take every step 
available to make sure those alternatives are provided by American 
companies and American workers, driven by American ingenuity.
  By one measure, ratifying the Kigali Amendment will generate nearly 
$39 billion in investments here in America in the next 5 years when 
combined with other steps we have taken to transition away from HFCs. 
It will create tens of thousands of new American jobs and increase U.S. 
heating, ventilation, and refrigeration exports by 25 percent in a few 
short years, by 2027.
  Let me say that all again. Tens of thousands in new American jobs, 
nearly 39 billion in new investments, a surge in U.S. exports--all of 
that is on the table if we finish our work to ratify this amendment 
today. There is every reason in the world to say yes.
  There is really no down side to ratification. The Kigali Amendment 
will not overrule or change any current U.S. law. It will require no 
one to replace their appliances at home. The United States will be able 
to lead the international process of implementing Kigali, ensuring U.S. 
businesses will set the terms of implementation that benefit them. And 
Congress will be perfectly free to change domestic policy to adapt to 
new technologies without having to worry about this agreement.
  Even without the Kigali Amendment, the United States has already 
taken steps to transition away from HFCs, and U.S. businesses have been 
the ones leading the way. So it is no surprise that groups like the 
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Chemistry Council, the Air-
Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute, and even companies 
like Walmart and Honeywell all support the Kigali Amendment.
  So in many ways, this is sort of a legislative layup. It is low-
hanging fruit to secure billions in growth and tens of thousands of 
good-paying jobs. Again, there is every reason in the world to say yes 
and practically no reason to say no.
  So for the sake of U.S. businesses, for the sake of U.S. workers, for 
the sake of U.S. exporters and U.S. investment, and for the sake of 
leadership in safeguarding our planet, I urge my colleagues to vote yes 
on ratifying Kigali later today.