The White House blocked a State Department intelligence agency from providing written testimony about the dangers of climate change to the House Intelligence Committee, according to reports from both The Washington Post and The New York Times.
The testimony said the agency sees "few plausible future scenarios where significant — possibly catastrophic — harm does not arise" from climate change. Anonymous senior officials told The Post that President Donald Trump wanted to remove information that doesn't match his administration's stance on global warming.
The White House initially requested the agency edit out references to scientific findings from federal agencies, but State Department officials refused.
The Trump administration has consistently downplayed climate change. On Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told The Washington Times that modern societies can adapt to rising sea levels. He suggested people "move to different places."
A State Department senior intelligence analyst was ultimately allowed to speak before Congress Wednesday but was not allowed to submit the written testimony.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
