Republicans in Congress huffed and they puffed and they … let President Obama make a half-a-billion-dollar payment to an international climate fund.
Despite the GOP’s railing against the Paris Agreement for months and promising to defund Obama’s efforts to send taxpayer dollars overseas, the money will go to developing countries to help them fight off the effects of climate change and increase their production of renewable energy.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama is interpreting the spending bill proposed early Wednesday morning as allowing him to make the $500 million payment to the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund since it does not ban the funding.
“Based on what we have reviewed so far, there are no restrictions on our ability to contribute to the Green Climate Fund,” Earnest said.
Congress and Obama are currently reviewing the 2,000-page, $1.1 trillion spending package finalized in a deal late Tuesday night. A Friday vote is set in the House and a Senate vote could come after that.
The U.S. has pledged up to $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund. The Paris Agreement, in a non-legally binding portion of the agreement, sets the goal of sending at least $100 billion per year to the developing world by 2020 to help fight climate change and increase renewable energy.
Congressional Republicans criticized the funding in the weeks leading up to the Paris talks, and even during the conference itself.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised to fight the deal’s proposals domestically and Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., said the administration was too eager to make financial commitments before getting Congress’ approval.
On Monday, Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called the deal an “unfunny joke” during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.
He questioned the idea of sending billions of dollars to developing countries when countries such as China and India consider themselves developing.
“Does that mean the American taxpayer is going to send billions of dollars to China to help them comply here?” Rubio said.
Despite the opposition, the White House is taking the view that it can send $500 million to the Green Climate Fund because the bill doesn’t say it can’t.
It’s one of a number of wins in the package for the president’s climate agenda. Negotiators were able to fight off many riders that would have worked against his environmental regulations and taken money away from the Environmental Protection Agency. An accompanying tax package will extend wind and solar tax credits.
While the White House and congressional Democrats had to agree to lift the federal 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports to get those wins, Earnest said Obama is pleased overall and ready to sign the bill.
“When you take a look at the entire package, the country can feel good that this budget reflects the priorities the president has laid out when it comes to transitioning to the low carbon economy of the future,” he said.
