Ted Cruz echoes Trump in criticizing Biden for joining Paris climate deal

Senator Ted Cruz repeated Donald Trump’s America-centric climate rhetoric as President Joe Biden joined the Paris Agreement on the first day of his term.

Cruz, R-Texas, said in a tweet Wednesday night that in bringing America back to the multinational climate agreement, Biden said he was more interested “in the opinions of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh.”

When Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the deal, the biggest international effort to fight climate change, in 2017, he said: “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris. . “

Trump has said the deal puts the United States at a disadvantage – part of his larger strategy to ease restrictions on domestic oil, gas and coal producers. The United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world behind China.

Cruz’s comment on Wednesday was criticized on Twitter, with users pointing out the obvious: the Paris agreement is a multinational effort.

France was just one of 196 participants to commit to the 2015 agreement, which aims to keep the increase in average temperatures around the world “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., responded to Cruz in a tweet, saying: “Quick question: do you also think that the Geneva Convention dealt with the point of view of the citizens of Geneva?”

The Geneva Convention, a set of protocols that governs armed conflict, has its origins in Geneva, Switzerland, but is recognized by almost every country in the world.

Download the NBC News app for the latest news and politics

Ocasio-Cortez introduced a sweeping political resolution called the “Green New Deal” that called for tackling climate change by moving the United States away from fossil fuels in 2019, but it was defeated in the Senate.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto also reacted to Cruz on Twitter, saying: “Here we go again…”

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joked in an apparent reference to Cruz’s tweet: “So happy that the United States has finally joined the Pittsburgh Accord. Welcome back!”

Meanwhile, Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Also criticized Biden’s decision to join the Paris Agreement, saying in a tweet it will cost Americans jobs and “force households and small businesses to pay higher electricity bills.” It’s unclear what the costs of joining the United States to the deal – if any – would be to Americans, or how it would impact utility bills.

Biden’s return to the Paris Agreement marks the start of a major policy reversal for the United States on the international stage, but he’s already facing a setback at home.

Moments after Biden signed an executive order to join the deal on Wednesday, a group of Republican senators called on Biden to submit his plan to re-engage the United States in the deal to lawmakers for “consideration and consideration.”

Senators’ decision reflects deep political divisions over climate policy that could hamper Biden’s ambitious $ 2 trillion climate plan.

Reuters contributed to this report.