Sen. Al Franken jetting to Paris for climate talks

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is heading to Paris this week to participate in the United Nations climate conference.

Franken’s office said he will leave for France on Thursday “to meet with counterparts and other officials to work on solutions to stifle climate change.”

{mosads}Several Democrats, including Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.), the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, have long considered going to the Paris talks to discuss American plans under a potential international climate change agreement. Cardin’s office didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to questions about whether his trip will coincide with Franken’s.

Senior Republicans, too, have considered a trip to the conference, which ends on Dec. 11, to dispute President Obama’s plan for American climate commitments. No such trips have materialized yet.

Franken is a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and chaired the committee’s energy-specific subpanel when Democrats held the Senate.

“While in Paris, I’ll be meeting with government leaders, businesses and clean energy advocates to voice congressional support for a strong, positive outcome from the negotiations,” he said in a statement.

“Climate change is a global issue that requires international action, so I will work to strengthen partnerships and develop solutions for addressing it.”

Environmental groups have said they want American officials and supporters of climate action to be in Paris to walk foreign negotiators through the political and legal situation in the United States.

President Obama attended the climate conference this week and promised the U.S. will stick to its pledge of cutting carbon emissions 26 percent to 28 percent by the year 2025. He said he is confident that will happen despite broad Republican opposition.

Obama’s special envoy for climate, Todd Stern, said Wednesday that he doesn’t think Republican resolutions against Obama climate rules are affecting the U.S.’s negotiating position in Paris.

“It produces questions, so I have had countries ask me about, but what I have said is that the Clean Power Plan rule is going to go forward,” he said.

“The president’s not going to accept such resolutions, and we are entirely confident that the Clean Power Plan will go forward. And so, to the extent that I’m asked — I’ve been asked once or twice — I just explain that.”