Next week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on the FY2026 State Department Budget Request. CCS has prepared a series of questions members of Congress should raise with Secretary of State Rubio related to climate change, extreme weather, food systems, and national security. These questions are based in part on policy recommendations made by CCS in January. 

Background

In the past year, the United States and its allies and partners have faced unprecedented floods, wildfires, and heatwaves that caused thousands of deaths and billions of dollars worth of destruction and required the repeated deployment of tens of thousands of troops. These hazards directly threaten the critical infrastructure and military resilience of the US and its allies, pulling resources from other US national security priorities, and weakening countries the US relies on for military basing and economic cooperation. 

The US State Department and the international development programs previously housed at USAID play a critical role in preparing for and preventing these hazards. Together, State and USAID efforts to increase the resilience of key international partners, engage in multilateral approaches to managing climate and environmental hazards, and invest in innovation to address food and water insecurity are ultimately critical to US national security. 

Unfortunately, the Trump Administration’s proposed FY2026 budget request would decimate the State Department’s capacity to continue such programming and address such risks. This hinders national security by increasing the risks of conflict and instability in regions of concern to the United States (including those that provide key critical minerals or other economic benefits), threatening US military resilience and basing directly, and providing strategic openings for adversaries.