Today, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities, made the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, before the Subcommittee's hearing titled, "Climate Change in the Era of Strategic Competition."
"Thank you, Jim for holding this important hearing today to discuss the critical role the environment plays in National Security.
"I also appreciate that we will be discussing this within the context of Strategic Competition and the Department's planning efforts to support the National Defense Strategy, or NDS.
"And welcome to our witnesses; thank you for being here.
"The issue of 'strategic competition' as identified within the NDS can best be summarized as a challenge to U.S. prosperity and security from other nations - namely China and Russia - who seek to shape our economic, diplomatic and security decision making processes to their own advantage.
"When this committee hears from the Department of Defense about the National Defense Strategy, we often focus on policy issues and emerging military capabilities. It is important that we also consider the economic, diplomatic and environmental impacts on our constituents, A strong economy and clean environment are the most visible and public sign of American strength.
"The United States cannot unilaterally address the human causes of a changing climate. China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gasses and is currently building more coal powered electrical production plants than the rest of the world combined; in fact, they are adding more coal fueled generation capacity than the entire European Union currently operates. Yet their existing capacity isn't even close to being used at full capacity, sitting idle for large periods of time. Because of poor energy sector management, China will negate the rest of the world's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.
"Nearly 50% of Russian government revenue comes from taxes on fossil fuel industries; and the Kremlin recently announced tax breaks for oil exploration. Russia also plans to boost coal production, in an effort to capture as much of the current market demand as possible, while also betting on a slow transition to cleaner energy sources.
"This committee and the American public are very aware of Russian efforts to control the information environment through internet trolls and state-backed media outlets. What is less known is that these same pro-Kremlin propaganda platforms routinely spread disinformation about climate related issues, mostly focused on European nations to undermine efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy sources. Just like we must consider our competitors military capabilities when we are modernizing our own defense - we must consider the actions of other nations when developing solutions to a changing climate.
"Globally, a changing climate will provide additional instability in already fragile regions like the Middle East, Africa, create challenges for emerging nations in South East Asia – and could fuel rising tensions in contested areas like the Arctic.
"At the local level, we have all seen the negative impacts of a changing climate in our communities, including in my own district, the North Country of New York. Pollution, extreme weather events, and invasive species threatening our native plants and wildlife are harming productivity in key economic sectors such as construction, agriculture, and tourism, putting pressure on state and federal budgets and adding to our long-term fiscal challenges.
"While most of the efforts to address a changing climate lie outside this committee's jurisdiction, I am proud to work in a bipartisan manner with all of my colleagues to develop consensus driven legislative solutions. I believe that our approach to addressing this issue must be done in a way that does not restrain, but enhances our ability to compete globally.
"I want to mention one common-sense effort the Department is making at Ft. Drum in my district. Ft. Drum is 100% energy independent, using renewable sources to power training capabilities and enable operational flexibility - ensuring the home of the 10th Mountain Division continues to play a critical role in national defense.
"I look forward to hearing about additional efforts the of the department, and how we are balancing this important topic within the rubric of strategic competition.
"Thank you, and with that I yield back."
