U.S. Mayors, Governors Vow To Stick With Paris Accord
PAUL: Yes, you've made it to Saturday, here, 8:26 is the time. Good morning, I am Christi Paul.</s>BLACKWELL: I am Victor Blackwell. Good morning to you. There's been some growing backlash since President Trump announced he is pulling the U.S. out of the landmark 2015 climate deal. This pact was the high point of former President Obama's environmental agenda. More than 190 countries all aiming at reducing emissions of planet warming, greenhouse gasses. The president says the agreement imposed unfair environmental standards on American businesses.</s>PAUL: But what Americans do want to know is does the president believe climate change is a hoax as he suggested on the campaign trail. Well, in yesterday's press briefing, for example, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt as well as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer didn't give a straight answer on that.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the president believe that climate change is real and a threat to the United States?</s>SCOTT PRUITT, EPA ADMINISTRATOR: What's interesting about all the discussions we had through the last several weeks have been focused on one singular issue, is Paris good or not for this country? That's the discussions I've had with this president. Whether they were good environmental objectives that were achieved as a result of Paris. His decision was no and that was the extent of our discussions. Yes, ma'am.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible) yes or no.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the president believe today that climate change is a hoax that's something of course he said in his campaign. When the pool was in the oval office with him a couple of days he refused to answer. So I'm wondering if you can speak --</s>PRUITT: I did answer the question because I said the discussions the president and I had over the last several weeks have been focused on one key issue, is Paris good or bad for this country?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are the EPA administrator. Shouldn't you be able to tell the American people whether or not the president still believes that climate change is a hoax? Where does he stand?</s>PRUITT: As I indicated several times in the process, there's enough to deal with, with respect to the Paris agreement and making an informed decision about this important issue. That's what our focus has been the last several weeks. I've answered the question a couple of times.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the president share the EPA's administrator's thoughts on this topic and why is the administration sort of backed away from using the words climate change?</s>SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I don't -- I have had not as I mentioned, I have had an opportunity to specifically talk to the president about that.</s>BLACKWELL: At least ten states mostly blue states led by Democratic governors are defying the president's decision, vowing to continue to support the global agreement.</s>PAUL: California's Governor Jerry Brown, for instance, says states have the right to pursue their own policies.</s>GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN (D), CALIFORNIA: America is a big place. We have 50 states. We have a federal government and we have a federal system. Within the confines of our national identity and constitution, California and other states can pursue their own policies. We strongly support zero emission cars. We have almost 30 percent renewable electricity. We are going for 50 percent in the next few years and beyond that to 100 percent. We're going to do whatever it takes.</s>PAUL: CNN's Kyung Lah has more on the mayors and the governors supporting the Paris climate deal despite the president's decision.</s>KEVIN DE LEON, CALIFORNIA SENATE PRESIDENT: In California we're not debating if the earth is still flat.</s>KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The reaction across the country swift, and nowhere more than in California, from the state's top lawmakers to the governor, this weekend looking to the Far East past President Trump, pledging a separate California-China climate change pact.</s>GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN (D), CALIFORNIA: We are forming the world against this deviant move on the part of President Trump.</s>LAH: Also working around the White House, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, standing steadfast with the president of another country, France, while defying the U.S. president's decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord.</s>MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, U.N. ENVOY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: Americans don't need Washington to meet our Paris commitment, and Americans are not going to let Washington stand in the way of fulfilling it.</s>LAH: Bloomberg, the U.N. envoy for climate change says his charity will foot the $50 million bill, and a coalition of governors, mayors and businesses will meet the Paris environmental standards instead of Washington. They're joined by more than 150 mayors, pledging to uphold the Paris agreement. Local leaders say states and cities set the mission standards and environmental protection can lead to growth, a belief not shared by the White House.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It is time to put Youngstown, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania along with many, many other locations within our great country before Paris, France. It is time to make America great again.</s>LAH: The mayors of two of those cities firing back.</s>MAYOR JOHN MCNALLY (D), YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO: We are a little bit confused how we got thrown into the discussion about the Paris Accords, and U.S. withdrawal away from the agreement is not going to create more jobs in Youngstown area.</s>MAYOR BILL PEDUTO (D) PITTSBURGH: This city does not support the initiatives that he is doing. This city is adamantly opposed to it. For him to then use this city as his example, who he is elected to represent, he is not representing us at all.</s>LAH: Multiple CEOs from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, also responding, loudly. Many saying if the White House won't act, corporations will.</s>RICHARD BRANSON, FOUNDER, VIRGI GROUP: All of us know we have a problem. We know we got to do something about it.</s>LAH (on camera): So if industry, if the states, if all of these mayors do indeed do the work, something palpable could be done as far as the United States trying to keep up with the Paris Accord, because all of the work of emission reduction is polled at the local level, that's where all the work is done. Mayor Bloomberg says he wants to remain in the Paris Accord, all of it will be unofficial. Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>PAUL: Now Al Gore is going to be a guest on "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper tomorrow, talking about climate change. Senator Mark Warner, U.S. ambassador to United Nations, Nikki Haley also on that show. It is "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on</s>CNN. BLACKWELL: Up next, Democrats are strategizing to regain power in Washington. The party has to make a crucial decision. Follow leaders of the last 10, 20, 30 years or turn to someone new.</s>PAUL: There are more guns than people in the U.S. so how can we stay safe in a country full of guns, some ask. W. Kamau Bell tries to find that out on the next "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA" tomorrow night.</s>W. KAMAU BELL, CNN HOST: What are your thoughts on guns in this country?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You just grab your head and scream, and say what can you do?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you convince people that firearms are not the solution?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So many of my friends were killed because of guns.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have a gun problem, we have a heart problem. There's no sanctity of life.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think anybody should be able to own a gun.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every round has two things attached to it, a jail sentence and a lawyer.</s>BELL: Is it irresponsible to not do all you can to protect your family?