January 11, 2018 – Dear Mr. President:
As Members of the House of Representatives with a deep interest in the many dimensions of our national security, we write to express our concern regarding your recent National Security Strategy, which fails to recognize climate change as a threat to the United States.
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. 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.
Secretary of Defense Mattis has stated that “the effects of a changing climate … will impact our security situation.” Congress affirmed that climate change is “a direct threat to the national security of the United States” in the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that you signed into law on December 12, 2017. Failing to recognize this threat in your National Security Strategy represents a significant step backwards on this issue and discredits those who deal in scientific fact.
We urge you to reconsider this omission. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,