H.Res. 544 — Introduced in House

IV 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 544 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 1, 2015 Mr. Yoho (for himself, Mr. Gosar, Mr. Walker, Mr. Benishek, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should submit any binding and universal agreement on climate change adopted at the Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to the Senate as a treaty under article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution. Whereas the United States is one of 196 countries that are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Convention); Whereas from November 30 to December 11, 2015, the United States will be participating in the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the Convention in Paris, France; Whereas, according to the organizing committee of COP21, the objective of COP21 is to achieve a binding and universal agreement on climate from all countries of the world; Whereas statements by United States Special Envoy for Climate Change, Todd Stern, and other United States Government officials indicate that President Obama does not intend to submit the agreement that results from COP21 to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification of the agreement; and Whereas the Constitution clearly states in article II, section 2, clause 2 that the President is empowered to propose and negotiate agreements between the United States and other countries only with the advice and consent of the Senate: Now, therefore, be it That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should submit any binding and universal agreement on climate change adopted at the Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to the Senate as a treaty under article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution.