Senate power grab on climate deals could block U.S. climate action
S. 3713 — No Climate Treaties Act of 2026 · Filed by John Barrasso (R-WY) · 24 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 28, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the Senate to approve any international climate agreement before the U.S. enters or re-enters it, and blocks federal spending on climate agreements unless the Senate has approved them. It specifically names the Paris Agreement as a treaty requiring Senate consent. The bill empowers the Senate to block or delay climate commitments and restricts the executive branch's ability to commit the U.S. to climate obligations without legislative approval.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is procedural: it reclassifies climate agreements as treaties (requiring Senate consent) rather than executive agreements, and blocks spending on unapproved agreements. This shifts treaty-ratification authority from the executive to the Senate, a constitutional question rather than a substantive climate or environmental policy.
What the text implies
- Retroactively subjects the Paris Agreement to Senate ratification, potentially invalidating U.S. participation unless the Senate votes to approve it—a de facto withdrawal mechanism without formal withdrawal.
- Creates a spending restriction that may prevent the executive from funding U.S. commitments under existing agreements until the Senate acts, creating a compliance gap.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
fossil fuel producers and utilities (reduced compliance pressure); carbon-intensive industries (delayed or blocked emissions regulations)