[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         NUCLEAR POSTURE REVIEW

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                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 14, 2010

  Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, one of the most serious threats facing 
our nation today is the risk of terrorist organizations like al Qaeda 
obtaining nuclear weapons--and we can all rest assured that they are 
trying their hardest to turn this risk into a reality.
  This is much different than the nuclear threat we faced thirty years 
ago in the midst of the Cold War. We no longer need to build up our 
nuclear stockpile to prepare for a world war. That threat is 
diminishing, instead being replaced by the risk of nuclear materials 
being spread to countries and terrorists who are hostile to the U.S. As 
this nuclear landscape continues to change, we cannot be effective in 
protecting our great nation unless our nuclear policy changes, too.
  Over the past several weeks, the Obama administration has made 
historic efforts to finally bring our nuclear policy out of the Cold 
War era and into the 21st century. This is an administration that 
recognizes the importance of pursuing a comprehensive agenda to prevent 
the spread of nuclear weapons to our enemies and to secure vulnerable 
nuclear materials from those who seek to do us harm.
  Earlier this month, the President released the Nuclear Posture 
Review, a responsible plan that aligns our nuclear strategy to better 
address the threats we face today. We know that it doesn't make sense 
to try to keep nuclear material away from terrorists by creating more 
nuclear material.
  The Nuclear Posture Review instead focuses on taking steps to work 
with other nations to secure the nuclear material that is already out 
there--while at the same time making sure that we maintain a robust 
nuclear deterrence here at home.
  The NPR, for the first time ever, places the prevention of nuclear 
terrorism at the top of our nuclear agenda. It defines key steps to 
strengthen our global non proliferation regime and keep nuclear 
material secure. Just yesterday, President Obama wrapped up a historic 
nuclear security summit here in Washington, where nearly 50 nations 
committed to secure all of their nuclear material in four years. This 
is a significant achievement, and makes real progress toward keeping 
this dangerous material out of the hands of those who seek to do us 
harm.
  The NPR also renews our commitment to hold fully accountable any 
state, terrorist group, or other entity that supports or enables 
terrorist efforts to obtain or use weapons of mass destruction.
  Madam Speaker, I have heard some critics try to distort the facts 
about this piece of the NPR, but here is the truth:
  President Obama made it very clear that if we see states developing 
biological or chemical weapons that we think endanger our safety, he 
reserves the right to revise this policy. He also made it clear that if 
any state not compliant with the Non-Proliferation Treaty--and this 
includes countries like Iran and North Korea--were to attack us with 
chemical or biological weapons, Secretary Gates made it clear that 
``all options are on the table,'' including responding with nuclear 
weapons.
  What the new security guarantee in NPR offers is an incentive for 
those nations that do not seek nuclear weapons and comply with the NPT.
  We have an unmatched conventional military capability at our hands, 
and my colleagues should not try to minimize this very powerful tool in 
our toolkit.
  Our new nuclear policy seeks to strengthen strategic deterrence and 
stability at reduced nuclear force levels, with the New START Treaty 
that we signed with Russia last week as an important first step. It 
also strengthens regional deterrence, broadening regional security 
architectures--including through missile defenses and improved 
conventional forces--to provide reassurance to our partners and allies.
  Finally, the NPR maintains a robust nuclear deterrence and sustains 
it by investing in our existing stockpile and the workforce that 
maintains it--a process that will keep our nuclear weapons reliable, 
safe, and secure without the need to make new nuclear warheads.
  Madam Speaker, this is not 1980. The nuclear threats facing our 
nation have moved beyond those of the Cold War, and we must move our 
nuclear policy beyond the narrow Cold War mentality. President Obama is 
taking the right steps to match up our nuclear policy with our current 
needs, and I commend him for his leadership to protect American 
families.

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