[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 72 (Friday, May 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E851-E852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013

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                               speech of

                            HON. RICK LARSEN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 17, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4310) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2013, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of an 
amendment offered by Representative Johnson of Georgia that would 
include a finding that states the deployment of tactical weapons to 
South Korea would destabilize the Western Pacific region and would not 
be in the national security interests of the United States.
  Due to increased provocative actions taken by North Korea, I feel 
there is a thought that the placement of tactical nuclear weapons on 
the Korean Peninsula would act as a deterrent

[[Page E852]]

against North Korea's continued desire to build nuclear weapons. I 
disagree.
  Our military's extended nuclear deterrent capabilities are already 
sufficient to deal with the North Korean threat. The Kim Jung-un regime 
is aware that with our advanced submarine launch capabilities, our 
sophisticated stealth bombers, and our ICBM missiles, the United States 
military has the ability to cause devastating harm to North Korea.
  Instead of acting as a deterrent to North Korea, placing tactical 
nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula will only embolden the Kim 
Jung-un regime to develop their nuclear capabilities faster, increasing 
the risk of development or testing mistakes that could harm innocent 
North Koreans in the process.
  Placing tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula without the 
support of the South Korean, Japanese, or Chinese governments could 
severely hamper the progress made during the six-party talks. The 
United States should not unilaterally decide to take a destabilizing 
action in this region of the world without close consultation with our 
allies in the region.
  For these reasons I strongly urge my colleagues to support the 
Johnson amendment.

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