Climate Security Questions Ahead of Secretary of State Rubio’s Senate Testimony

The Council on Strategic Risks argues that the Trump Administration's proposed FY2026 budget for the State Department and USAID would undermine US national security by eliminating programs that build climate resilience, food security, and disaster preparedness. The document highlights how these cuts create strategic openings for China, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, and increase the risk of global instability and migration. It specifically calls for clarity on the implementation of the Global Fragility Act and the balance between the administration's goal of seabed mineral extraction and the simultaneous cutting of scientific funding for ocean exploration.

• Proposed FY2026 budget cuts to the State Department and USAID are described as a threat to US national security because they reduce the capacity to manage climate and environmental hazards, thereby increasing the risk of conflict and instability in regions critical for economic benefits and critical minerals.
• The US is losing influence to China's Belt and Road Initiative in developing regions, such as the Philippines, where the US has stopped funding energy security programs, and in Papua New Guinea, where climate-driven vulnerabilities may jeopardize US military basing and personnel safety.
• Climate-driven disasters, including droughts and desertification, are linked to global instability, such as food-related protests in twenty countries in 2022 and increased migration from Central America to the US.
• Cuts to agricultural research and development, specifically the Feed the Future program, may expose US farmers to foreign pests and diseases, noting that previous international research in Ethiopia helped protect crops in 17 US states.
• There is a contradiction between the April 24, 2025, Executive Order to accelerate seabed mineral resource development and the administration's simultaneous reduction of funding for scientific agencies like NSF and NOAA, which provide the necessary research for such extraction.

APA

The Council on Strategic Risks (2025). Climate Security Questions Ahead of Secretary of State Rubio’s Senate Testimony. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/05/16/climate-security-questions-ahead-of-secretary-of-state-rubios-senate-testimony/

Chicago

The Council on Strategic Risks. Climate Security Questions Ahead of Secretary of State Rubio’s Senate Testimony. 2025. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/05/16/climate-security-questions-ahead-of-secretary-of-state-rubios-senate-testimony/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=The Council on Strategic Risks |title=Climate Security Questions Ahead of Secretary of State Rubio’s Senate Testimony |date=16 May 2025 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/05/16/climate-security-questions-ahead-of-secretary-of-state-rubios-senate-testimony/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{thecouncilonstrategicrisks2025climate, author = {{The Council on Strategic Risks}}, title = {{Climate Security Questions Ahead of Secretary of State Rubio’s Senate Testimony}}, publisher = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/05/16/climate-security-questions-ahead-of-secretary-of-state-rubios-senate-testimony/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }