The leading Republican in the U.S. Senate on Sunday threw cold water on the historic climate agreement reached over theweekend by 200 countries in Paris, saying the deal goes too far, dpa reported. "The president is making promises he can't keep, writing checks he can't cash," Senator Mitch McConnell said, according to the Washington Examiner, quoting a statement issued by the majority leader. The Republican from Kentucky, a coal-producing state, also said the agreement would hurt US employment and raise utility rates. He said the agreement would be subject "to being shredded" after the 2016 presidential and congressional election. The countries that agreed to the plan during the UN-sponsored talks in Paris committed to limit the global average temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. They also agreed to pursue efforts to meet the more ambitious target of below 1.5 degrees. Senior White House officials said Saturday the deal would not require Senate approval. They say all the legally binding aspects of the deal can be accomplished through executive action. Senator Jim Inhofe, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said many questions remained unanswered with regard to the climate deal. He plans to invite key administration officials to testify early next year to assess the Senate's role in overseeing the deal, he said, according to the Examiner. US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters on Saturday that Obama showed "extraordinary leadership" that let the world know the US is serious about climate change. "I have news for Senator Inhofe," Kerry said. "The United States of America has already reduced our emissions more than any other country in the world under President Obama's plans." He said Obama took action on automobile emissions and other fuel efficiency standards because Congress - under the current leadership of the environment committee or other committees - "is not able to do this."
