June 3rd, 2017 by WCBC Radio
President Donald Trump’s announcement Thursday to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, an international effort agreed upon in 2015 to curb greenhouse gas emissions, earned him pats on the back from West Virginia’s congressional delegation.
The agreement, signed onto by 195 countries, worked as a mutual pact to stymie the flow of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the environment contributing to global warming.
Despite scientific evidence of climate change and risk of future damage to the planet, all five members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation issued supporting statements through their media teams within an hour of the news.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said “onerous” environmental regulations have harmed the state’s labor force, and the withdrawal will help with a potential rebound.
“President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement is the right decision for the American economy and workers in West Virginia and across the country,” she said. “West Virginians have suffered tremendous economic calamity as a result of the Obama administration’s anti-coal agenda, and President Obama should not have unilaterally committed the United States to an international climate agreement without consent of the Senate.”
The remark comes when even members of Trump’s own Cabinet have said easing regulations on environmental protection won’t help coal rebound because natural gas remains a cheaper option.
In similar fashion to Capito, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., praised Trump’s decision, breaking ranks with his party.
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