(Above: Sen. Jeff Sessions questions Obama’s EPA Assistant Administrator nominee Janet McCabe)
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., today questioned Janet McCabe, who is currently the Acting Assistant Administrator for the division of the EPA responsible for air regulation and climate policy, about her claims that global warming is leading to an increased number of extreme weather events. The Obama Administration is using such claims as a basis for imposing billions of dollars of regulations on the American economy.
Sen. Sessions cited data collected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization that believes in “human-induced climate change,” that directly contradicts McCabe’s claim that there have been more hurricanes and similar weather events in recent years than there were in decades past.
“The IPCC says current data sets indicate ‘no significant observable trends in global tropical cyclone frequency over the last century.’” Sessions said. “Does that not dispute what you just told us?”
McCabe said she could not point to specific data backing up her claim, but repeated that she believes global warming is leading to an increase in inclement weather.
“I’m not familiar with the exact statistics,” McCabe said. “I am aware that when the climate warms, which it is doing, that creates more energy in the atmosphere that can lead to more extreme weather events as well as droughts and wildfires.”
Sessions then asked if McCabe would change her position if presented with factual evidence that contradicts her position.
“So you’re going to insist that we’ve had more hurricanes over the last 50 or 100 years, when the numbers are plain?” an exasperated Sessions asked. “They’re counted worldwide each year, and their intensity is accounted for. And all you have to do is add them up. So, if you do that and it shows that you’re incorrect, will you acknowledge that?”
McCabe refused to directly answer the question.
“The scientific evidence is out and available to the public for them to understand and use and talk to us about,” she said.
“Well I’m just going to tell you, if you continue to insist that we’ve had more hurricanes in the last century and that they’ve increased because of climate change, I don’t see how I can support your nomination,” Sessions finally said. “I mean, I don’t see how I can support somebody who believes they can advocate against plain fact.”
This is not the first time McCabe has testified before Congress claiming that extreme weather is increasing and advocating for the federal government to impose regulations as a result.
During a hearing before the House Science Committee in March of this year, McCabe was asked to explain “some of the costs associated with the lack of action to address climate change and increasing emissions.”
At that hearing, Ms. McCabe responded, “There are costs to our economy and to society from the impacts of climate change that is already happening. In 2013, there were seven extreme weather events, which I think is a nice way of saying great, big, huge horrible storms that cost the economy over a billion dollars each… The scientific community has identified a number of impacts of climate change. Among those are increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.”
President Obama has nominated McCabe to be assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, a post that requires Senate approval. She is currently serving as acting assistant administrator in that office.
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