The admonitions, coming amidst a newly strengthened public discussion here on climate change, could offer an opportunity for some conservative lawmakers to re-engage with what has been one of the most fractious political issues of recent years.

"(T)he impacts and costliness of weather disasters will increase in significance as what are considered ‘rare' events become more common and intense due to climate change," a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warns. "However, the federal government is not well positioned to address this fiscal exposure."3

According to the GAO,...