[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8719-8720]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            LEAVING PARIS AGREEMENT DAMAGING TO ENVIRONMENT

  (Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, abandoning the commitments we made 
in the Paris climate accord is a

[[Page 8720]]

massive self-inflicted wound to our environment, our global influence, 
and our economy. The damage caused to our economy and environment by 
leaving the Paris Agreement is undeniable, but it was also completely 
foreseeable. That is why the first piece of legislation I wrote as a 
member of Congress called for our country to keep the pledges we made 
in this agreement, the promises we made to the world, and to ourselves.
  Through his decision, the President is ceding American leadership in 
the green economy to China, and kneecapping the global effort to 
counter the effects of climate change. While the President has made his 
choice, the rest of us can make ours.
  We must continue to resist global climate change by expanding our 
commitments to green technology and sustainable practices. If we do so, 
we will not only address the challenges of our time, but also embrace 
its opportunities.

                          ____________________