Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I read this amendment carefully, and what I saw in this amendment and the policy choices that it engages have nothing to do with what I just heard from the proponent of this amendment, so let me deal with the merits of this amendment as it stands and as it relates specifically to the Department of Defense. This amendment in that context is just another in a long line of initiatives by my colleagues to drive out of the Department of Defense any concern for, much less mention of, anything bearing the name of or in any way implicating the dreaded phrase ``climate change.'' Based on this amendment, this apparently includes any reference to consideration of greenhouse gas emissions or extreme weather risks in Federal procurement. All this is despite the fact that the DOD itself is eyes wide open to the realities of climate change, as we have seen repeatedly in this debate. Let's unpack the real amendment here and ask ourselves what it actually does. Very directly, first of all, this amendment would defund any requirement by DOD that greenhouse gas emissions or climate-related risk be disclosed by companies doing business with the Department of Defense. It is nothing new to utilize Federal procurement to address broader concerns, especially when the largest procurement office in the Federal Government is the Department of Defense.…”