IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 676 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 

should formally withdraw from the Paris Agreement. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 1, 2019 

Mr. ARRINGTON (for himself, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. 

PALMER, Mr. ESTES, Mr. BANKS, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Ms. CHENEY, 

Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. COMER, Mr. ROY, and Mr. BISHOP of Utah) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the United States should formally withdraw from the 

Paris Agreement. 

Whereas, on June 1, 2017, President Trump announced that 

the United States would cease all implementation of the 

Paris Agreement; 

Whereas, on August 4, 2017, the Department of State notified the United Nations Secretary General that the 

United States would provide formal notification of withdrawal ‘‘as soon as it is eligible to do so’’; 

Whereas the agreement entered into force on November 4, 

2016; 


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•HRES 676 IH 

Whereas according to article 28 of the Paris Agreement, the 

period of eligibility for the United States to begin the formal withdrawal process begins November 4, 2019, three 

years from the date on which the agreement has entered 

into force; 

Whereas withdrawal may take effect one year later, on or 

after November 4, 2020, and in the meantime, the 

United States will remain a Party to the Paris Agreement, unless, following customary international law, the 

other Parties agree to allow an earlier exit; 

Whereas President Obama unilaterally accepted the Paris 

Agreement in August 2016 under the United Nations 

Framework Convention on Climate Change, rather than 

ratifying it as a treaty with the advice and consent of the 

Senate, a requirement stated in article II, section 2 of 

the Constitution; 

Whereas in addition to entering into the Agreement without 

congressional approval, burdensome regulatory measures 

have put the United States at a competitive disadvantage, costing American jobs and increasing energy costs 

for consumers and taxpayers; 

Whereas according to one report, implementing policies to 

comply with the Paris Agreement would have increased 

electricity costs for a family of 4 between 13 and 20 percent annually; 

Whereas a cost-benefit analysis was not conducted at the 

time of commitments, and subsequent reports have found 

that meeting the commitments agreed to could cost the 

United States GDP $250,000,000,000 and 2,700,000 

jobs by 2025; 


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•HRES 676 IH 

Whereas all 28 European Union countries are falling short of 

their commitments under the Paris Agreement, and 

meanwhile, the world’s worst emitters, China, Russia, 

and India, are exempted from its requirements; 

Whereas according to the International Energy Agency, the 

United States has seen the largest absolute decline in 

emissions among all countries since 2000; 

Whereas a recent study showed that the Paris Agreement will 

not have any meaningful impact on climate change, reducing global average temperatures by just 0.086°F in 

2100; 

Whereas the United States is pioneering environmental protection without international interference, is a world leader at reducing pollutants known to cause immediate harm 

to humans, and is ranked number one in the world for 

clean water, according to the World Health Organization’s airborne particulate matter standards and the Environmental Protection Agency; and 

Whereas instead of binding the United States to international 

agreements that put Americans at a national security 

and economic disadvantage to our competitors abroad, we 

should be focused on continuing to reduce emissions, developing and exporting clean energy technologies, and 

making our communities more resilient, all while ensuring affordable, reliable energy prices and prioritizing the 

consumer, American security, and prosperity: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the United States should formally sub2 mit its notification to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. 

Æ 


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