S.Amdt. 2370

1. Adds SEC. 1082. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE at the end of subtitle H of title X

   Adds a section

   In S. 1197 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (e) Date for Submittal of Comptroller General of the United States Report.--Subsection (d) of such section is amended by striking "December 30, 2013" and inserting "December 31, 2014".

   Inserted: SEC. 1082. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) Former National Security Advisor to the President, Tom Donilon, stated in April 2013 there is "a transformation in the global climate, driven by the world's use of energy, that is presenting not just a transcendent challenge for the world but a present-day national security threat to the United States".

   Inserted: (2) The Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, testified before the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate in March 2013 that--

   Inserted: (A) shifts in human geography, climate, disease, and competition for natural resources have national security implications; and

   Inserted: (B) "there will most assuredly be security concerns with respect to health and pandemics, energy and climate change. Environmental stresses are not just humanitarian issues. They legitimately threaten regional stability.".

   Inserted: (3) Leading United States national security experts, including 17 former Senators and Representatives, nine retired generals and admirals, both the Chair and Vice Chair of the 9/11 Commission, and Cabinet and Cabinet-level officials from the Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush administrations, signed an open letter in February 2013, stating, "The effects of climate change in the world's most vulnerable regions present a serious threat to American national security interests. As a matter of risk management, the United States must work with international partners, public and private, to address this impending crisis. Potential consequences are undeniable, and the cost of inaction, paid for in lives and valuable U.S. resources, will be staggering. Washington must lead on this issue now.".

   Inserted: (4) The Commander of the United States Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, stated in March 2013 that, when the effects of climate change start to impact massive populations, "you could have hundreds of thousands or millions of people displaced and then security will start to crumble pretty quickly".

   Inserted: (5) A January 2013 report prepared by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program for the Department of Defense states, "The effects of climate change will adversely impact military readiness and Department of Defense (DoD) natural and built infrastructure unless these risks are considered in DoD decisions. Considerations of future climate conditions need to be incorporated into the planning, design, and operations of military facilities, as well as into the strategic infrastructure decisions facing the military Services and DoD as a whole.".

   Inserted: (6) Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta stated in May 2012 that "[t]he area of climate change has a dramatic impact on national security".

   Inserted: (7) The Defense Science Board issued a report in October 2011 entitled, "Trends and Implications of Climate Change for National and International Security", which stated that "the effectiveness of adaptation will have significant national and international security implications".

   Inserted: (8) The Department of Defense FY2012 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap interprets the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review as recognizing that climate change--

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   Inserted: (A) will shape the operating environment, roles, and missions that the Department undertakes;

   Inserted: (B) may have significant geopolitical impacts around the world, contributing to greater competition for more limited and critical life-sustaining resources like food and water; and

   Inserted: (C) may also lead to increased demands for defense support to civil authorities for humanitarian assistance or disaster response, both within the United States and overseas.

   Inserted: (9) The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review describes long-term strategies and initiatives for the Department of Defense and states that "[c]limate change and energy are two key issues that will play a significant role in shaping the future security environment".

   Inserted: (10) The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review also notes that a 2008 assessment by the National Intelligence Council found "more than 30 U.S. military installations were already facing elevated levels of risk from rising sea levels".

   Inserted: (11) The 2010 National Security Strategy states that "the danger from climate change is real, urgent and severe".

   Inserted: (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that it is in the national security interests of the United States to assess, plan for, and mitigate the security and strategic implications of climate change.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:

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As printed