WASHINGTON – House Republicans are trying to thwart a Biden-proposed rule that would require the Pentagon to select only the greenest contractors for multimillion-dollar weapons awards – even as the defense industry races to keep up with growing production needs.

In November, Biden proposed the “Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Rule,” which would blackball contractors who decline to set what the White House calls “science-based emissions reduction targets.”

The rule, which has yet to be finalized but is on track for official review, would force the defense industry to put the environment ahead of production while it works to reduce a growing weapons backlog worsened by more than a year of donations to Ukraine and a pressing need to arm Taiwan ahead of a potential Chinese attack.

If finalized, the rule would force contracting agencies to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and “climate-related financial risks,” which would be taken into consideration when Pentagon acquisitions teams decide which company to select for a contract.

Companies that pursue contracts under the rule would have to create emission-reduction plans, submitting them for review by a consortium of climate activist organizations dubbed the “Science Based Targets initiative.” The non-governmental group would thus have the power to ban any company from competing for DOD contracts if their plans aren’t up to their standards.

Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has called the rule “a thinly-veiled attempt to penalize companies that rely on American energy” by unfairly requiring contractors to “receive federal government approval on burdensome emission reduction plans.”

“The Biden Administration’s whole-of-government assault on fossil fuels threatens our military readiness and jeopardizes our national security,” Arrington said May 17, one day after introducing legislation that would stop the rule’s implementation.

The “Mission not Emissions Act” would outright ban the federal government from issuing “any requirements for recipients of federal contracts” to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions or otherwise provide an “inventory or any other report” of such emissions.

The bill would also prohibit federal agencies from requiring government contractors to “develop and submit greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for validation by any non-governmental organization,” explicitly mentioning the Science-Based Targets initiative.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), one of the bill’s 15 co-sponsors, in a statement said the bill “recognizes the importance of protecting American businesses from unnecessary burdens and promoting competitiveness on a global scale.”

“By prohibiting the disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks for federal contract recipients, we can ensure companies can focus on innovation and productivity without being weighed down by excessive reporting requirements and bureaucratic red tape,” she said.

The proposed rule would place another hurdle before the defense industry as it attempts to ramp up production of needed weapons and military equipment. The Pentagon for months has been meeting with industry leaders to learn which contractors need to boost production of weapons for Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia.

“We cannot allow the Biden Administration to continue to play politics with our military and force through a radical environmental agenda,” another of the bill’s co-sponsors, Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), said in a statement. “We cannot address national security concerns if our military is hamstrung by the reckless pursuit to lower emissions.”  

Expanding production capability is a high priority as the Pentagon aims to backfill its weapons and equipment stockpile, which has dwindled after Biden has sent more than three dozen packages of military aid to Ukraine since August 2021 using his presidential drawdown authority. The administration has also pledged to send more in the future as needed.

Meanwhile, Taiwan is waiting for the US to deliver roughly $19 billion in weapons and equipment it purchased to deter China from invading the island and possibly drawing the US into war in the Pacific. Delivery was delayed as the US defense industry works to boost production.

Additionally, Congress authorized President Biden to send Taiwan up to $1 billion worth of military aid from US stocks as part of the fiscal year 2023 budget. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last month told Congress that the Pentagon is preparing a weapons package for Taiwan using part of those funds.

The legislation was forwarded last month to the House Oversight Committee, whose chairman, Rep. James Comer, called the proposed rule “another example of [Biden’s] attempt to carry on a radical Green New Deal climate agenda.”

“By introducing the ‘Mission Not Emissions Act,’ Republicans are taking steps to stop the all-out war on American-Made energy,” Comer (R-Ky.) said. “This bill prevents the Biden Administration from using federal agencies to attack companies that use and produce domestic energy, from killing American jobs, and from harming the economy by sending costs even higher on all Americans.”