Newsflash: America Never Joined Paris Agreement

[240B]

HOT AIR
TAYLOR MILLARDPosted
8:01 pm on June 4, 2017


There’s a lot of handwringing on both sides of the aisle over whether President Donald Trump made the right decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. Potential California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer needlessly bloviated Trump committed “assault and battery” on American’s future. The Federalist’s David Harsanyi opined the withdrawal proved once and for all the Democrats have lost on climate change. Both sides appear to believe the Paris Agreement was voluntary, because of how politicians have portrayed it.


They’re both wrong.


(full explanation at link)
http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php?action=post;board=3.0


So, Trump pulled out of a 'Treaty' which was never an actual treaty. At most, it was a 'memorandum of understanding' between President Obama himself, and the other parties involved.

[Oceander]

From the US perspective it wasn't a treaty because it wasn't ratified by the Senate.  It was an executive agreement.  The US does have other executive agreements as well, some of very longstanding vintage. 

[Just_Victor]

From the US perspective it wasn't a treaty because it wasn't ratified by the Senate.  It was an executive agreement.  The US does have other executive agreements as well, some of very longstanding vintage.

The Paris Agreement had both financial and legal obligations.  The president does not have the authority to commit the US legally and financially without the approval of the Senate.  Ever.

Honestly, from what I understand about the Constitution, is that all agreements with foreign entities were intended to be "treaties."  The executive agreements are just an effort to sidestep the process using semantics.

[kidd]

At most, it was a 'memorandum of understanding' between President Obama himself, and the other parties involved

Technically, yes.

Practically, no.

Every county that signed on to the agreement would be expecting the United States to live up to what was promised.
To other countries, which do not require their equivalent of Congress to ratify a treaty, this was in all essence, a treaty.
To them, Obama found a 'loophole' that bypassed the Congressional approval part.

Kudos to Mr. Trump for not caving to pressure. This was a major accomplishment.