Thune: China cannot be trusted on emissions deal

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said President Obama shouldn’t trust China to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as part of a climate change deal the two countries announced last week.

“If you trust the Chinese on something like this, I’ve got some oceanfront property here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for you, because this is a one-sided — and it is a non-binding deal that we have agreed to, and I don’t expect that we’re ever going to see China agree to it in the end,” Thune said on “Fox News Sunday.”

{mosads}Obama announced that the United States would reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. In exchange China has said it would start seeing emission reductions by 2030.

Thune and other Republicans have been critical of Obama’s commitment, saying it is unrealistic, will raise the cost of energy for consumers, and would require the administration to unilaterally issue more regulations to curb emissions.

“What the president agreed to was a bad deal,” Thune said. “It’s all pain and no gain for the American people.”