[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 176 (Wednesday, October 25, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 429--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE IN SUPPORT OF 
 THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY'S (IAEA) NUCLEAR SECURITY ROLE

  Mr. LUJAN (for himself and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 429

       Whereas the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 
     created in 1957 for the purpose of assisting states in the 
     development and use of nuclear technology for peaceful 
     purposes, plays a critical role in the global nuclear 
     security regime;
       Whereas the agency's activities in nuclear security date 
     back to the 1970s, when the agency began providing ad hoc 
     training courses in physical protection;
       Whereas these responsibilities expanded following the 
     collapse of the former Soviet Union, reports of nuclear 
     smuggling in the late 1990s, and again after the devastating 
     terror attacks on September 11, 2001;
       Whereas the agency established the Nuclear Security Fund to 
     assist countries in protecting their nuclear and radiological 
     materials and facilities;
       Whereas the agency's nuclear security efforts are sustained 
     by its technical expertise, experience, transparency, and 
     confidentiality;
       Whereas rogue regimes and clandestine organizations 
     continue to exhibit the ambition to acquire nuclear materials 
     that can be used to build crude radiological and nuclear 
     weapons;
       Whereas the IAEA Office of Nuclear Security relies almost 
     exclusively on voluntary funding, which is inherently 
     unpredictable and inconsistent; and
       Whereas the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, 
     D.C., issued an Action Plan on April 1, 2016, citing the 
     agency's need for ``reliable and sufficient resources'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) maintains that the International Atomic Energy Agency 
     (IAEA) plays an indispensable role in strengthening nuclear 
     security and safety around the globe;
       (2) reaffirms that the United States has a vital interest 
     in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and securing 
     nuclear materials; and
       (3) encourages the United States and other member states of 
     the IAEA to take steps to ensure that the IAEA has the 
     resources needed to successfully carry out its duties, 
     including--
       (A) supporting the IAEA to continue convening ministerial 
     meetings on nuclear security to promote political commitment;
       (B) contributing to the implementation of the IAEA's 
     Nuclear Security Plan through reliable and sufficient 
     resources; and
       (C) providing appropriate political, technical, and 
     financial support to the Nuclear Security Fund.

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