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Kristina Baum – 202.224.6176

Donelle Harder – 202.224.1282

 

Sen. Inhofe Statement on the President’s 2015 National Security Strategy

“[The President] knows that his domestic agenda does nothing to address global temperatures or sea levels while it instead will dramatically affect electricity reliability and affordability for all Americans.”

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement in response to the President’s 2015 National Security Strategy:

"The President’s 2015 National Security Strategy highlights a conflict between perception and reality.  The President puts an emphasis on climate change as a means to address our national security, which is nothing new and not a strategy. It’s his same old arguments but in new packaging. He knows that his domestic agenda does nothing to address global temperatures or sea levels while it instead will dramatically affect electricity reliability and affordability for all Americans. The president also knows his international agenda does nothing to address global warming with his less than impressive agreement with China that promises significant action by the United States while China continues to increase its CO2 emissions over the next 15 years.  

"The reality is we live in a world where the threats to our security have grown exponentially over the last six years. During this period of time, our U.S. military has been systematically dismantled and the lack of U.S. leadership and presence has created a vacuum around the world.  The President’s strategy promotes a continued pivot to rebalance Asia and the Pacific, but yet there are no resources available given the instability in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  The President promotes nuclear zero with a willingness to unilaterally disarm America while watching Iran and North Korean develop their nuclear capabilities.  We cannot advance the security of the United States by simply maintaining our military in its current state. Military readiness is at the lowest levels seen since Vietnam and its size has been reduced to the levels of pre-WWII.  We need a National Security Strategy that is driven by the threats we face today, and we need to stand with our allies and partners against the tyrants and terrorists who threaten our shared security.  

“Most importantly, we need to restore funding to our armed forces. If the President is serious about having a strong national security than he needs to start by addressing his spending priorities. Having spent more than $120 billion tangible taxpayer dollars on climate change and having put into motion nearly $1 trillion in defense budget cuts over the past six years, our national security is no better off. We cannot afford another red line drawn in the sand where strong words have no backing in will or resources."


Background

NERA Economic Consulting study from Oct. 2014 estimates that the result of President Obama's efforts to address man-made climate change with the proposed greenhouse gas regulation on new power plants will fall flat. The study says the climate mandate would only reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations by less than 1/2 of a percent, reduce global average temperature by less than 2/100th of a degree, and reduce the rise of sea levels by 1/100th of an inch – or the thickness of three sheets of paper. In the meantime, this same report says that such efforts by the Obama Administration will cost Americans $479 billion in compliance cost and double-digit increase in electricity costs across the nation over the next decade.

 

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