[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 69 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E919-E920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO EXPAND DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AUTHORITY FOR 
            NUNN-LUGAR COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION PROGRAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 9, 2003

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation that 
is of utmost importance to our national security and our future as a 
global community. My legislation will expand the Defense Department's 
authority for Nunn-Lugar cooperative threat reduction programs outside 
of the former Soviet Union. My bill will authorize efforts to dismantle 
and destroy nuclear, chemical, and other weapons of mass destruction in 
nations such as Pakistan, India, North Korea, China, Iran, and Iraq. 
These programs have a single objective: to reduce stockpiles of nuclear 
(and non-nuclear) materials in both military and nonmilitary facilities 
that may be converted to weapons of mass destruction to prevent such 
highly dangerous materials from being stolen or sold to terrorist 
organizations.
  It is critical for our national security to ensure that terrorists do 
not have easy access to weapons of mass destruction, particularly 
nuclear weapons. Over a decade ago, the landmark Nunn-Lugar cooperative 
threat reduction legislation, the initiative of Senators Nunn and 
Lugar, was signed into law. This initiative was born out of necessity 
to ensure that the nuclear arsenal of the Soviet Union would not fall 
into the wrong hands as the Soviet empire was coming apart. Throughout 
the latter half of the Cold War, the Soviet and the US camps had 
achieved mutually assured destruction capability, which had resulted in 
an uneasy yet stable security with regard to our nuclear arsenals. The 
enemy was clear and identifiable. However, the demise of the Soviet 
empire ushered in a new post-Cold War period with unclear and 
unidentifiable threats, and a new and very real sense of urgency, 
instability and insecurity.
  At this critical juncture, Congress established the Nunn-Lugar 
Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program in 1991, authorizing the use 
of Defense Department funds to assist with the safe and secure 
transportation, storage, and dismantlement of nuclear, chemical and 
other weapons in the former Soviet Union. In the ten years since, while 
much has been done to dismantle Russia's and the former Soviet 
Republics' nuclear weapons, the dangers persist, and in some cases have 
increased.
  In addition to the traditional nuclear weapons and materials concerns 
in the former Soviet Union, there are new and emerging threats from 
nuclear proliferators such as North Korea, Pakistan, and China, as well 
as Libya, Iran, Iraq, and stateless terrorist organizations headed by 
individuals such as Osama Bin Laden, that are actively in search of 
their next deal on nuclear weapons technology and components. It is 
this latter type of threat--the unclear, mobile, and not easily 
identifiable source of threat--that compels us to continue and increase 
our efforts to secure nuclear weapons and materials wherever they may 
be found.
  The world has changed, and with it so to have the threats. We cannot 
afford to cut back on such worthwhile programs as Nunn-Lugar and other 
non-proliferation programs. There is much work to be done, and we must 
be increasingly vigilant in an ever-changing world with new threats 
that go far beyond nuclear weapons.
  Significant progress has been made thus far, as reported in the May 
2001 Cooperative Threat Reduction Scorecard issued by the Department of 
Defense. With regard to the established CTR Baseline attributed to 
Russia under the START process, the Nunn-Lugar program has successfully 
deactivated 5,504 of the 13,3000 Warheads; destroyed 423 of the 1,473 
ICBMs; eliminated 383 of the 831 ICBM Silos; eliminated 85 of the 167 
Bombers; destroyed 483 of the 487 Long-Range Nuclear ALCMs; eliminated 
352 of the 728 SLBM Launchers; eliminated 209 of the 936 SLBMs; 
destroyed 19 of the 48 SSBNs; and sealed all 194 Nuclear Test Tunnels. 
In addition, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus--the three former Soviet 
nuclear powerhouses--are nuclear weapons free, according to the Defense 
Threat Reduction Agency of the Department of Defense.
  The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program can and should be 
credited for significant achievements in reducing threats from the 
former Soviet Union. However, continuing economic and social weaknesses 
in Russia, coupled with an eroding early warning system, poorly secured 
Russian nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and materials, and 
poorly paid Russian weapons scientists and security personnel, increase 
the threat of mass destruction on an unprecedented scale, especially if 
they fall into the hands of terrorists or rogue nations.

[[Page E920]]

  Mr. Speaker, now more than ever we must make a fundamental shift in 
the way we think about nuclear weapons, the spread of weapons of mass 
destruction, and our national security. My bill will authorize the 
Department of Defense to expand their cooperative threat reduction 
programs outside of the former Soviet Union.

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