Niki Tsongas: “When President Trump withdrew from the Paris climate accord last week, I was in Germany meeting with some of that…”

“When President Trump withdrew from the Paris climate accord last week, I was in Germany meeting with some of that country's top officials, legislators, and business leaders. In our conversations, many of my German counterparts rightly emphasized that climate change is a major world threat, with potential to cause widespread and long-lasting damage if not acted upon. So the news of President Trump's unilateral decision drew sharp criticism and deep concern. Our longtime allies viewed withdrawal as America ceding international leadership and turning its back on the world. Indeed, withdrawing from the Paris climate accord reduces our ability to help shape a solution to the climate change crisis and retreats from our responsibility to serve as a global leader. It also ignores the role we, here in the United States, play in contributing to climate change. I stand in strong support of American businesses and State and local leaders across our country who see beyond the shortsighted approach of this decision and will remain committed to furthering the goals of the Paris accord. ____________________”