WASHINGTON -- Sen. Al Franken heads to Paris this week to help the U.S. negotiating team at the U.N. climate change conference, staffers said Tuesday.
Franken's trip follows President Obama's sojourn earlier this week to France where he met with world leaders attempting to craft a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Though Obama returned to D.C. Tuesday, the work continues in France among 30,000 diplomats, delegates and elected officials from the U.S., Europe and Asia charged with putting the agreement together.
The global pact could potentially have hundreds of countries signed on and would commit world leaders to enact policies that would reduce carbon emissions.
Franken's office said he will participate in talks with a handful of other U.S. senators, government leaders, businesses and clean energy advocates.
"I'm proud to be a part of this momentous gathering and as a member of the Senate Energy Committee, I will continue to build on the ideas and solutions we develop in Paris," Franken said, in a statement.
But the GOP-controlled Congress has not expressed enthusiasm for the United States' participation in the climate talks and is actively moving to block any deals from becoming law.
Just back from Thanksgiving break and the House on Tuesday approved two resolutions that would block Obama's plan to force emissions cuts to American power plants. The Senate has already approved the measures, though Obama has said he will veto it when it reaches his desk.
