As UN Convention on Climate Change in Europe is Underway, Senator Murray Leads Group of Senators in Letter to President Trump Urging Him to Reconsider Paris Climate Accord Withdrawal

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined 26 of her Senate colleagues in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. In the letter, Senator Murray sounded the alarm on the dangerous, growing impacts of the climate crisis and the damage that will be inflicted on current and future generations unless immediate action is taken. Senator Murray 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 to address the climate crisis. The letter comes as the 25^th United Nations Climate Change conference takes place in Madrid this week.

Senator Murray wrote, “As the second largest global emitter of greenhouse gases, and the largest historical emitter, it is imperative that the United States assume our rightful place 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.”

Additionally, the letter emphasized the national security implications related to the President’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, underscoring the damage done to the United States’ reputation by going back on an international commitment. Senator Murray’s letter further illustrates the outcry from Washingtonians and Americans across various sectors, including the business community, citing more than 2,200 U.S. businesses including major companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks. Senator Murray concluded the letter by reminding the President of the overwhelming number of Americans who believe the United States should participate in the Paris Climate Agreement – three out of every four registered voters – or 77 percent.

Read the full letter HERE.

A longtime defender of our nation’s bedrock environmental laws, Senator Murray has consistently opposed President Trump’s decision to leave the Paris Climate Accords, and joined with her Senate Democratic colleagues on another letter this week in support of the 25^th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25) and their commitment to global efforts to thwart climate change. Senator Murray has also been a leader on legislative efforts to address climate change and protect the environment, introducing legislation to maintain national fuel economy standards and protect local wilderness and natural landscapes throughout Washington state.

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