Biden admin. reenters Paris climate accords

February 20, 2021 KT1 US 0

CONCORD, NH - NOVEMBER 08: Democratic presidential candidate, former vice President Joe Biden speaks during a rally after he signed his official paperwork for the New Hampshire Primary at the New Hampshire State House on November 8, 2019 in Concord, New Hampshire. The state's first-in-the-nation primary will be held on February 11, 2020. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

CONCORD, NH – NOVEMBER 08: Joe Biden spoke during a rally after he signed his official paperwork for the New Hampshire Primary at the New Hampshire State House on November 8, 2019 in Concord, New Hampshire. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:14 AM PT – Saturday, February 20, 2021

Joe Biden is pushing his agenda on so-called climate change as he reentered the controversial Paris climate accords. On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the move, saying the Biden administration remains committed to prioritizing environmental issues.

It’s a good day in our fight against the climate crisis, as the United States is once again a Party to the Paris Agreement. The work to reduce our emissions has already begun, and we will waste no time in engaging our partners around the world to build our global resilience.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 19, 2021

Several Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), decried the move, accusing Biden of neglecting Americans who work in the energy sector.

By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden indicates he’s more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh. This agreement will do little to affect the climate and will harm the livelihoods of Americans.

— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) January 20, 2021

This is the latest reversal of policies enforced during the Trump administration, after President Trump withdrew from the 2015 agreement last year.

“It is a process that takes 30 days, that means as of today, we are officially back in again,” John Kerry, presidential envoy for climate said. “But in rejoining, we’ve got to be really honest with each other. We have to be humble and most of all we have to be ambitious. We have to be honest that as a global community, we’re not close to where we need to be.”

Blinken and Kerry said so-called climate change will be integral to America’s foreign policy.