Durbin, Colleagues Send Letter To U.N. Convention And President Trump In Support Of Global Efforts To Combat Climate Change
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), sent a pair of letters today to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and to President Trump about the importance of combatting climate change. In the letter to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, the Senators expressed support of its global efforts to thwart climate change.
“Failing to address the worsening crisis of climate change will wreak damages on all Americans for centuries into the future. Now more than ever, the American people are demanding action on climate change from our federal government and our international partners,” the Senators wrote.
In the letter to President Trump, the Senators urged him to reconsider his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and sound the alarm on the crisis of climate change and the damage that will be inflicted on Americans for future generations unless immediate action is taken. The Senators also warned the President against ceding U.S. leadership on this issue, and admonished him for failing to honor his commitment to work with Democrats to renegotiate the Paris Climate Accord or to craft a new deal.
“As the second largest global emitter of greenhouse gases, and the largest historical emitter, it is imperative that the United States assume our rightful places as a global leader in the fight to combat climate change, yet with this action you are ceding American leadership to other nations at great political and economic costs,” the Senators wrote.
The letters each come as the 25th United Nations Climate Change conference takes place in Madrid this week.
Joining Durbin and Shaheen on the letter to UNFCCC includes Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tom Udall (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
The letter can be read here.
Joining Durbin and Shaheen on the letter to President Trump includes Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
The letter can be read here.
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