Activist groups target funding for executive orders to DoD on climate change

The American Energy Alliance and Concerned Veterans for America recently sent a joint letter to Congress, calling for the legislative body to overrule President Obama's executive orders demanding that the Department of Defense (DoD) take steps to reduce its environmental impact.

“We join together in voicing our strong support for Congressman John Fleming’s (R-LA) proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2017,” the letter said. “Our military should be focused on protecting our national security, not subsidizing pet energy projects.”

The amendment would prohibit funding of Executive Orders 13653, which mandates directives to prepare for the effects of climate change, and 13693, which calls for sustainability measures. The organizations said these orders would increase costs and create complications in terms of acquisitions, logistics, planning and mission execution.

“Implementing these executive orders requires additional funds, whether it is for acquiring more expensive fuel sources, such as biofuels or solar panels, or committing more resources to the already bloated Pentagon bureaucracy to oversee the implementation of these executive orders,” the letter said. “Forcing the DoD to rely on more expensive energy sources for no actual tactical or strategic advantage is unnecessary, especially given the abundance of domestic energy supplies. The funds authorized in the NDAA should be spent in areas directly related to DoD’s mission – not to implement President Obama’s green energy agenda.”