DeKalb GA News

Earlier today, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee. During the session, Senator Angus King of Maine expressed surprise at the omission of climate change from the U.S. Intelligence Community's annual threat assessment report. This report traditionally includes climate change as a significant national security threat.

Senator King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, questioned why this year's report focused on threats such as cartels and adversarial nations but did not mention climate change. He remarked on his long tenure on the committee and noted that every previous report had addressed global climate change as a significant threat.

"One note that surprised me: I’ve been on this committee now for — this is my thirteenth year. Every single one of these reports that we have had has mentioned global climate change as a significant national security threat, except this one," King stated during the hearing. "Has something happened? Has global climate change been solved? Why, why is that not in this report? And who made the decision that it should not be in the report when it has been in every one of the eleven prior reports?"

Director Gabbard explained her decision to focus solely on what she described as "the most extreme and critical direct threats" to homeland security.

The discussion was highlighted by various media outlets and sparked debate online about whether climate change should be considered among America's most critical national security threats.