Lankford Joins Colleagues to Protect US Jobs from Liberal Climate Agenda

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) to introduce the Domestic Manufacturing Protection Act, which would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing any new greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rules or regulations until China and Russia adhere to the same emission reduction targets of the Paris Agreement as required by the United States.

“We can have clean air and water and still empower American industries to flourish,” Lankford said. “We should not crush American industry and raise our consumer prices trying to cancel out other nations’ emissions. We should encourage manufacturing and mining here because we do it far cleaner than Russia or China. Let American industries thrive while we protect God’s creation together.”

“The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement allowed the world’s biggest polluters a free pass while sacrificing American manufacturing jobs,” Inhofe said. “That’s why I urged President Trump to pull out of the bad deal. Now, the Biden administration plans to not only recommit, but build upon this failed agreement. That’s why I am introducing the Domestic Manufacturing Protection Act, which holds China, India, and Russia to the same standard as the United States.

Inhofe continued, “China and Russia are our greatest threats in national security and in economic competition. If we don’t want China to ‘eat our lunch’ as President Biden said, then we need to challenge them at every turn. Passing my Domestic Manufacturing Protection Act is a good step in that effort because we can’t risk a one-sided climate restriction that would give them a leg up on economic growth and trade.”

“President Biden’s plan to recommit to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement will kill American manufacturing and jobs all while China, India, and Russia continue being the world’s biggest polluters,” Tillis said. “They must be held to the same standards that the United States is forced to adhere to. We can’t allow China, India, and Russia to have unfair opportunities for economic growth, which is why I’m proud to partner with Senator Inhofe to introduce legislation to hold these polluters accountable and protect American jobs.”

“China, Russia, and India are among the world’s biggest polluters, yet the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement refuses to take any real actions to hold them accountable. Meanwhile, jobs in Mississippi and across the nation will be sacrificed,” Hyde-Smith said. “I’m pleased to join my colleagues in an effort to protect jobs here at home, to promote domestic energy reliance, and to ensure these mega-polluters are held to the same standards as the United States.”

The Domestic Manufacturing Protection Act holds China and Russia to the same standard as the US—ensuring American manufacturing and jobs are not sacrificed while the world’s biggest polluters get a free pass.

Background

• The 2015 Paris Agreement allowed China to peak its emissions by 2030 and maintain its pollution status quo for 15 years. China remains the world’s biggest polluter of CO₂ emissions.
• Russia proposed reducing its emissions by 25 to 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 but it’s woefully “inadequate” in meeting its commitment. Further, UN data shows Russia has failed to lower its CO₂ emissions.  
• The US pledged to aggressively reduce GHG emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. Studies have found that by 2035, compliance with the Paris Agreement would annually destroy an average of 400, 000 American jobs, half of which would be in manufacturing.

###