McEachin Signs Bipartisan Letter Urging President Trump to Restore Climate Change in National Security Strategy

Richmond, Va. – Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) joined Representatives Langevin (RI-02) and Stefanik (NY-21) on their joint letter to President Trump, urging him to officially recognize climate change as a threat to our nation’s security.

“As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I know our national security strategy has to be based on reality. If we choose to ignore the facts on the ground — the kind of real world conditions that climate change has already altered — we endanger our brave men and women in uniform,” said Congressman Donald McEachin. “We must never put ideological rigidity ahead of Americans’ safety — but that is exactly what we are doing if we dismiss the reality of climate change.”

The letter, which was signed by a bipartisan group of more than 100 lawmakers, was sent in response to the President’s recently released National Security Strategy, which omitted any mention of climate change. The strategy contrasts with the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act signed last month, which includes language that explicitly recognizes climate change as a threat to our national security.

“We have heard from scientists, military leaders, and civilian personnel who believe that climate change is indeed a direct threat to America’s national security and to the stability of the world at large,” the lawmakers wrote. “As global temperatures become more volatile, sea levels rise, and landscapes change, our military installations and our communities are increasingly at risk of devastation. It is imperative that the United States addresses this growing geopolitical threat.”

The National Security Strategy is a report delivered to Congress that outlines the Administration’s goals and objectives for securing the United States. During consideration of the FY18 NDAA, 46 Republicans joined 188 Democrats in voting to preserve Congressman Langevin’s provision that states “climate change is a direct threat to the national security of the United States.” The legislation directs the Secretary of Defense to provide an assessment of and recommendations to mitigate vulnerabilities to the top 10 most threatened military installations in each service. It also requires the Secretary to address combatant commander requirements resulting from climate change over the next 20 years. The required report must be submitted to Congress before the end of this year.

Full letter text is available here.

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Contact: Jamitress Bowden
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