WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, talked with Fox News Radio’s Brian Kilmeade today about Senate Democrats’ obstruction of President Trump’s nominees, and also responded to French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks to Congress in support of the Paris climate accord.
Key excerpts of Cassidy’s interview are transcribed below.
ON KEEPING THE SENATE OPEN UNTIL DEMOCRATS END THEIR OBSTRUCTION OF NOMINEES
CASSIDY: If that’s what it takes, I am all for it. You may have seen the press reports yesterday about potentially limiting the debate time from 30 hours to eight hours, and it’s too bad because I think the Senate is where we should debate. But if it’s only being used as a tool to defeat Donald Trump’s appointees no matter how good they are, that is an abuse of— Democrats are abusing what the Senate is about.
ON MACRON’S CALL FOR THE U.S. TO FULFILL THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD
CASSIDY: I think Macron gave a great speech to the Senate, but I totally disagree with his position. I actually think where we are now is counterproductive to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. I’ll tell you what, one: Paris climate accord. Paris climate accord leaves out China and India until 2030, and they’re the major polluters. It has no teeth, and no one is going to achieve their goals except maybe the U.S. And why is it counterproductive? Since the U.S. and the E.U. have begun regulating carbon in 2004, global greenhouse gas emissions have actually increased, and that’s because manufacturing has moved to China. Why not? It’s cheaper to produce there because of regulations in the U.S. and the E.U. And now we have more global greenhouse gas emissions, but the loss of American jobs. If we keep manufacturing here, more American jobs but also lower greenhouse gas emissions globally.
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