In a softball interview with Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy on Thursday, MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell teed up the Obama administration official to dismiss legitimate Republican criticism of the President's climate deal with China: "I wanted to ask you of course about this major breakthrough with China. And the criticism already from many Republicans....What are you facing as you approach climate deniers...now that you have, you know, the Republicans in charge?"
McCarthy predictably defended the agreement as "a big step forward" that was "the result of the leadership of this administration to recognize the need to take quick and prompt and aggressive action on climate." She added: "This is big investments on both sides that really will pay off for the future of this world."
Before labeling the GOP as a bunch of "climate deniers," Mitchell did mange to read a quote from incoming Senate Environmental Committee chairman James Inhofe, who warned: "In the President's climate change deal, the United States will be required to more steeply reduce our carbon emissions while China won't have to reduce anything. This deal is a non-binding charade."
Mitchell gently pressed McCarthy on that in a follow-up question: "But are the investments lopsided in China's favor?"
McCarthy replied: "I don't think so....China clearly is making a strong commitment. And we're actually going to take action that's meaningful in both countries..." She concluded: "But most importantly, our domestic action under this president is sparking the kind of international effort that we wanted it to spark."
On Wednesday, Mitchell blasted Inhofe for expressing skepticism of man-made climate change and wondered: "So why should, frankly, people trust Republicans to be running policy on science when this is what the incoming chairman has to say about climate change?"
Here is a transcript of the November 13 exchange:
12:07 PM ET
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ANDREA MITCHELL: I wanted to ask you of course about this major breakthrough with China. And the criticism already from many Republicans, including the incoming leader of the Environmental Committee on the Senate side, James Inhofe, who said, "In the President's climate change deal, the United States will be required to more steeply reduce our carbon emissions while China won't have to reduce anything. This deal is a non-binding charade." What are you facing as you approach climate deniers, for instance like Senator Inhofe and others on the Senate side, and critics on the House side, now that you have, you know, the Republicans in charge?
GINA MCCARTHY [EPA ADMINISTRATOR]: Well, with all due respect to the Senator and others, this joint announcement is a big step forward. It is exactly the result of the leadership of this administration to recognize the need to take quick and prompt and aggressive action on climate, but to recognize that there's also tremendous opportunities for us to continue to grow the economy, create jobs, and provide the public health protections that us and our children are looking for us to provide. It is a big step forward.
We have to take actions that we know we can do, they're aggressive and affordable, but we also know that China will have to take immediate action if they can expect to achieve the kind of reductions that they'll need to achieve and investments in renewable energy that it's going to take to peek their emissions no later than 2030 and to bring this kind of renewables into the mix in China. This is big investments on both sides that really will pay off for the future of this world.
MITCHELL: But are the investments lopsided in China's favor?
MCCARTHY: I don't think so. But you know, we'll all work to see what we can put on the table. But I think the U.S. has made a strong commitment. China clearly is making a strong commitment. They are – you know, we are talking about two of the largest economies and two of the largest carbon polluters here. Both of us are translating that responsibility, we're showing clear signals to the international community. And we're actually going to take action that's meaningful in both countries and we'll continue to work through these issues. But most importantly, our domestic action under this president is sparking the kind of international effort that we wanted it to spark.
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