[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12597]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE DALE E. KLEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 26, 2006

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, the Honorable Dale E. Klein, currently the 
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Chemical and 
Biological Defense Programs, departs his post this week to assume the 
position of Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Born and educated 
in Missouri, Vice Chancellor for Special Engineering Programs in the 
University of Texas System, and on leave from his position as Professor 
in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Nuclear Programs) at the 
University of Texas in Austin, Dr. Klein, as the Assistant to the 
Secretary of Defense from November 2001 to June 2006, led the 
Department of Defense's efforts to combat weapons of mass destruction 
at a watershed time in history.
  In this position, he served as the principal staff assistant and 
advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and 
the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology for all 
matters concerning the formulation of policy and plans for nuclear 
weapons, and nuclear, chemical, and biological defense. He was directly 
responsible to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense for 
matters associated with nuclear weapons safety and security, chemical 
weapons demilitarization, chemical and biological defense programs, 
cooperative threat reduction, treaties, and agreements.
  In this capacity, he was responsible for the day-to-day oversight of 
four organizations responsible for billions of dollars in providing 
combat support operations to the Theater Commanders in support of the 
Global War on Terrorism, Counterproliferation and Combating Weapons of 
Mass Destruction. In addition, he was responsible for the Research and 
Development, Testing and Evaluation, and Acquisition Life-cycle 
Planning for systems to combat Weapons of Mass Destruction and to 
survive in a contaminated environment.
  Dr. Klein personally facilitated international cooperation in the 
area of nuclear weapons safety and security by ensuring active and 
relevant bi-Iateral dialogue was ongoing between several nuclear 
nations. These actions directly helped ensure proper stewardship of the 
enduring nuclear weapons stockpile by several nations, while 
maintaining adherence to numerous international treaties and 
agreements, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and 
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. These programmatic actions serve to help 
mitigate the threat nuclear weapons pose to world order, while ensuring 
the President retains a credible deterrent option.
  He supported and electrified President Bush's aims for the NATO-
Russia Council. Desiring to see NATO and Russia move forward, together, 
to face common challenges and build ties that expand with time, Dr. 
Klein helped facilitate and institute numerous initiatives in the realm 
of nuclear and chemical and biological defense programs. These 
challenges include countering terrorism, preventing the spread of 
weapons of mass destruction, search and rescue operations at sea, and 
emergency planning.
  Dr. Klein led the establishment of a significant new effort in 
medical bio-warfare defense. The Transformational Medical Technology 
Initiative (TMTI) focuses more than $1 billion over the next five years 
to develop broad-spectrum medical countermeasures against advanced bio-
terror threats, including genetically engineered pathogens.
  Dr. Klein provided the Chemical Demilitarization Program with the 
oversight and policy guidance that led to the successful start of five 
new chemical weapons destruction facilities. Under Dr. Klein's 
Leadership, the Chemical Demilitarization Program led the international 
community in compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention 
obligations while maintaining the safety and security of the workers, 
the environment and the public during the destruction of the U.S. 
chemical weapons stockpile and former chemical weapons production 
facilities.
  His endeavors produced extraordinary results and will have a lasting 
impact on the quality of many of the programs vital to the Department 
of Defense. They include such significant accomplishments as: 
successful stewardship of the U.S. nuclear deterrent enterprise; 
spearheading efforts to develop science and technology programs aimed 
at establishing the backbone of Domestic Nuclear Defense; personally 
facilitating international cooperation in the area of nuclear weapons 
safety and security; and development of capabilities to defeat 
improvised explosive devices, special weapons, hardened targets, and 
WMD stockpiles and production facilities.
  Dale Klein accelerated national security in the critical areas of 
nuclear weapons safety and security, chemical weapons demilitarization, 
chemical and biological defense programs, cooperative threat reduction, 
and nuclear, chemical, and biological treaties and agreements. His 
leadership, vision, and tenacity were the driving forces in 
transforming the Department of Defense's approach to nuclear, chemical 
and biological defense while proactively seeking new and revolutionary 
technologies to address future threats. Dr. Klein's achievements and 
dedication represent the highest traditions of public service.

                          ____________________