November 05, 2019 09:26 AM UTC

Sound Of GOP Silence As Trump Exits Paris Accords

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: While we wait to hear from Sen. Cory Gardner on the Paris Agreement, here’s a clip from a few years ago of Gardner positively going off at the Steamboat Institute over the liberal “war on coal.”

Doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence, does it?

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Michael Karlik of the Colorado Springs Gazette:

On Monday, the Trump administration notified the United Nations of its intent to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, effective Nov. 4, 2020. The nonbinding agreement, in which nearly every other country is a signatory, seeks to limit the global temperature rise to less than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels through voluntary carbon emissions reduction.

Democratic policymakers in Colorado reacted with harsh criticism of the decision. As of yet, no Congressional Republicans have responded.

Colorado Democrats are livid as one would expect, even though Donald Trump’s plan to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement has been known for years now–Rep. Joe Neguse of Boulder:

As communities across our country experience dangerous wildfires, flooding, extreme weather events and costly impacts, we need bold leadership on climate.

Instead, this Administration is choosing to abandon our commitments and abdicate our leadership position. https://t.co/2O2dv3NJzw

— Rep. Joe Neguse (@RepJoeNeguse) November 4, 2019

The question of Republican support for Trump’s pullout from the Paris Agreement is especially timely in Colorado, since vulnerable incumbent GOP Sen. Cory Gardner has switched message tracks in recent days from 2014’s “New Kind of Republican” championing renewable energy to “oil and gas defender” as Gardner works to shore up support on his weak right flank. Despite this updated conservative-friendly message on energy, Gardner still can’t afford to look like a complete throwback on an issue he’s paid significant lip service to over the years.

What will Gardner say when he’s cornered on the Paris Agreement?

Most likely as little as possible, followed by a quick-march to the nearest exit!

But it’s still worth asking, at least the usual five to seven times.