New group seeks to persuade Trump Kigali Amendment is 'America First' policy

“If President Trump supports it, yes,” said George David Banks, a former White House environmental activist, when asked if the Kigali Amendment could actually be ratified by the Republican-controlled Senate. That’s why framing it as an “America First” policy is so important to supporters who hope to reach the president.

The group’s website makes several direct appeals to the president. “Chinese firms have been found to be unfairly dumping millions of dollars worth of hydrofluorocarbons into the United States over a period of several years, hurting American workers, the small and large American manufacturing and distributing companies that employ them, and jeopardizing U.S. investment,” the site reads. “President Trump has rightly called out this behavior and is working to ensure a level playing field.”

“President Trump is a negotiator at heart,” the Let America Lead site says later. “The Kigali Amendment provides him the opportunity to level the playing field for American workers and the companies that employ them.”

The homepage prominently quotes from Trump’s inaugural address: “From this moment on, it’s going to be America First. Every decision … will be made to benefit American workers and American families.”

In an op-ed for the Washington Examiner earlier this month, Banks described Kigali as an “‘America First’ trade initiative disguised as a climate deal.”

“It’s going to cut imports and it’s going to raise exports,” said Paul Nagy, a longtime conservative activist. He called the Kigali Amendment “another tool” in Trump’s “arsenal” to boost U.S. manufacturing.

Up to this point, Trump is better known for pulling out of climate treaties — such as the Paris agreement — than pushing for their adoption, and his administration has regularly clashed with environmental groups. Kigali, supporters say, is different.

“The Paris Accord should have been negotiated as a treaty, given the long-term objective of deep emission cuts,” Banks said. “Moreover, developing a national consensus on climate change needs Congressional input. It can’t be done via the administrative state. I would also point out that meeting the Obama pledge would have required onerous regulations across our manufacturing sector, undermining its competitiveness.”

“Kigali, on the other hand, was negotiated as an amendment to a treaty, thus requiring Senate approval,” he continued. “More importantly, unlike the Obama Paris pledge, Kigali provides U.S. manufacturing a competitive advantage in global markets, creating jobs, and promoting exports. Because it helps lock in U.S. global competitiveness and shut out cheap Chinese refrigerant imports. It’s truly an ‘America First’ policy.”

The amendment also has business and conservative support, which Paris lacked, though some free-market groups have balked. “Senate ratification of the Kigali amendment will build on the success of deregulation and tax reform and help ensure the economy continues to grow at strong levels,” Americans for Tax Reform, FreedomWorks, and the American Council for Capital Formation wrote in a June letter to Trump. “This agreement has our support because it will ensure that U.S. manufacturers are able to thrive in the global economy and create more wealth and jobs in America.”

“The people and the organizations that support this are just going to have to get to [Trump],” Nagy said. “He’s a street-smarts guy. … The bottom line is the answer.”