Subsequent to his confirmation hearings in January, Secretary of Defense James Mattis provided unpublished written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Excerpts from this testimony were provided to ProPublica1 by someone involved in climate change preparedness, possibly in the Department of Defense.
The provision of these excerpts to ProPublica is clearly yet another warning to Congress about the danger they face from a Trump and Bannon White House. These follow two previous warnings, one in late January2, which was an oblique reference to Trump’s unfitness for public office. The second one in late February3, was a more pointed warning about the risks posed by the current White House to one of the most important institutions in a democracy, a free and fearless press. This third one is clearly Defense’s line on preparedness for climate change, and contradicts the White House’s stance that human-induced climate change is a hoax. Indeed, one of the most pointed of Mattis’ statements was that he, “if confirmed, would ensure that the Department of Defense plays its appropriate role within such a response by addressing national security aspects”1.
Sources
- https://www.propublica.org/article/trumps-defense-secretary-cites-climate-change-national-security-challenge
- http://www.blotreport.com/us-politics/warning-to-republicans/
- http://www.blotreport.com/us-politics/another-warning-to-republicans/
