The Senate Budget Committee held its 17th hearing Wednesday tying climate change to economic instability — this time to the financial burdens of responding to climate-fueled crises and conflicts.
But while the topic of national security and defense drew some level of engagement from the GOP, it was not enough to break down the partisan wall committee Republicans have built around efforts from Chair Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to highlight the impacts of climate change.
“I agree climate change presents some national security-related challenges,” ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in his opening remarks.
He noted, for instance, that “melting sea ice means new shipping lanes and accessible resources in the Artic,” which in turn is leading to a scenario where “China and Russia are aggressively staking out their claims in the area.”
