ICYMI: Rep. Kelly & Sen. Lee Discuss Resolution to Stop President from Bypassing Congress on UN Climate Deal with The Hill

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) participated in a joint video interview yesterday evening with The Hill regarding their recently-introduced concurrent resolution to require President Obama to submit to the U.S. Senate whatever agreement may be negotiated at the ongoing Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France. Rep. Kelly and Sen. Lee introduced the resolution (H. Con. Res. 97 and S. Con. Res. 25) in the House and Senate respectively on November 20, 2015.

Text of corresponding article,GOP lawmakers: Senate must ratify climate pact:

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) have introduced a resolution that would require the Senate to ratify any climate change deal the Obama administration brokers in Paris.

In an interview with The Hill, Lee said that while he recognizes climate change is an important issue for President Obama, he couldn't address it unilaterally.

"Anything that president commits to in Paris needs to be submitted to the Senate for advice and consent, for ratification," Lee said. "It acknowledges that if it doesn’t, he can’t assume that we’re just going to fund the things that he’ll want funded."

Both Lee and Kelly also expressed worries about the potential impact of the climate pact on taxpayers and the economy.

"We don't know what the president’s gonna come back with, but if he’s gonna agree to timetables and targets that are going to involve heavy American investment, he has to come to us to do that," Kelly said.

So far, 32 GOP senators have co-sponsored the resolution, while nearly 60 Republican lawmakers have signed on in the House.

NOTE: Rep. Kelly and Sen. Lee co-authored a joint op-ed detailing the purpose of their resolution on November 19, 2015, for National Review Online, which can be read here.

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