Democrats Roar as French President Macron Declares U.S. Will One Day Rejoin Paris Climate Accord

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday and boldly declared his position on climate change, whilst claiming the U.S. will one day rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement — to hearty cheers from Democrats and silence from Republicans.

In a wide-ranging speech, Macron declared that he believes “in building a better future for our children, which requires offering them a planet that is still habitable in 25 years.”

While that comment brought bipartisan lawmakers to their feet — including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Mike Pence behind the French leader — his next point was more divisive in the chamber.

“Some people think that securing current industries and their jobs is more urgent than reforming our economies to meet the global challenge of climate change,” Macron said, in a twist. “I hear these concerns. But we must find a smooth transition to a low carbon economy.”

Democrats stood and clapped; Ryan and Pence remained seated, hands at their sides.

He continued:

“Because what is the meaning of our life? Really? If we work and live destroying the planet while sacrificing the future of our children? What is the meaning of our life if our decision, our conscious decision is to reduce the opportunities for our children or grandchildren?”

“By polluting the oceans, not mitigating C02 emissions and destroying our biodiversity, we are killing our planet,” he declared. “Let us face it. There’s no planet B.”

Macron noted that while there may be disagreements between the U.S. and France, “we have to work together” to “make our planet great again.”

Macron concluded his climate talk with an appeal to the United States to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, the Obama-era accord Trump announced he would pull out of last year.

“And I’m sure, one day, the United States will come back and join the Paris Agreement,” the French president said, sending Democrats into an uproarious standing ovation. “And I’m sure we can work together to fulfill with you the ambitions of the global compact on the environment.”

Macron is on a whirlwind tour of Washington D.C. along with wife Brigitte, which kicked off on Tuesday with a highly publicized daylong meeting with President Donald Trump.

Watch above, via Fox News.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Aidan McLaughlin (@aidnmclaughlin) on Twitter

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