Comer, Fallon Probe Biden Administration’s Push to Limit the Federal Fleet’s Use of Fossil Fuels

Biden Admin’s proposed rule could harm military readiness

WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Pat Fallon (R-Texas) are conducting oversight over the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk proposed rule. The proposed rule, a clear example of the Biden Administration’s ongoing radical environmental activism and regulatory blitz, places a restriction on conventional fuels available to the federal motor and aviation fleet and could potentially compromise military readiness. In a letter to FAR Council Chair Mathew Blum, the lawmakers request a briefing, documents, and information on the proposed rule.

“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is conducting oversight of the Federal Acquisition Regulation Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk proposed rule. The Rule, as drafted, would lead to the restriction of conventional fuels available to the federal motor and aviation fleet, and potentially compromise military readiness, which relies on fossil fuels,” wrote the lawmakers. “Proposed by the Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (collectively, the “FAR Council”), the Rule extends the Biden Administration’s radical environmental activism into federal government contracting. The Rule would delegate new functions for validating federal contractors’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and setting contractors’ emissions reduction targets to the SBTi, a third-party international organization with unclear funding sources and bias against the fossil fuel industry.”

SBTi is a partnership between nongovernmental organizations consisting of CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute, and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Delegating oversight functions to an entity supported by foreign governments, including China, raises serious concerns about the impact the proposed rule would have on procurement for national security.     

“SBTi’s stark opposition to the refining sector would prevent federal contractors from supplying ‘liquid fuels, such as jet and diesel, to power the military,’ including F-16 fighters, military cargo transport, and Black Hawk helicopters.,” continued the lawmakers. “It is unclear why this Administration has chosen to propose this Rule, which would give authority over aspects of national security procurement to an entity funded by China. The Rule also burdens recipients of Federal contracts with substantial and unreasonable costs to assess direct and indirect emissions. The Committee seeks to understand the FAR Council’s consideration of SBTi’s role under the proposed Rule, the potential for the Rule to compromise needs of the U.S. military and federal fleet, and issues related to the Rule’s costs and proposed delegation of governmental functions to SBTi.”

Read the letter to FAR Council Chair Mathew Blum here.