[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15129]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  Some might question whether it is appropriate to reduce the United 
States stockpile without a direct assurance that other nations would 
reduce theirs by the same amount. However, this is flawed Cold War 
thinking. As Secretary Powell has stated, we have far more weapons than 
necessary to devastate any opponent, real or imagined, many times over. 
Clearly, we can reduce our stockpile without in any way reducing our 
nuclear deterrent, or our national security.
  Having said this, reducing the stockpile is not enough. We also need 
to encourage and assist others in doing so. In particular, it is 
important that we help Russia by providing aid for dismantling weapons 
and by offering other economic assistance. We also need to continue to 
negotiate arms reductions and non-proliferation agreements with other 
countries, including, but not limited to Russia. Unilateral action can 
provide many benefits, but we need multilateral agreements to more 
fully reduce the nuclearthreat, and prevent the spread of nuclear 
technology. Ultimately, the nuclear threat is a threat to all of 
humanity, and all nations need to be part of a coordinated effort to 
reduce that threat.
  In recent months, we have renewed a long-standing debate about 
whether to deploy a national missile defense. Proponents of such a 
system argue that it would reduce the threat posed by nuclear weapons 
by giving us the capacity to deflect incoming nuclear weapons. However, 
many have raised serious concerns about this approach, and the risk 
that it actually could reduce our national security by creating a new 
arms race and heightening international tensions.
  The bill I am introducing today offers a proven way to reduce the 
nuclearthreat that can be accomplished quickly and without the 
controversy associated with a national missile defense system.
  There are few issues more important than reducing the risks posed by 
nuclear weapons. For the past half century, the world has lived with 
these weapons, and it is easy to underestimate the huge threat they 
represent. Yet it is critical that we remain vigilant and do everything 
in our power to reduce that threat. The fate of the world, quite 
literally, is at stake.
  I urge my colleagues to support this simple but powerful measure.

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