[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 24 (Monday, June 23, 2008)]
[Page 881]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress on Continuation of the National Emergency With 
Respect to the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation Created by the Accumulation 
of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material in the Territory of the Russian 
Federation

June 18, 2008

To the Congress of the United States:

    Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) 
provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, 
prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President 
publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice 
stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the 
anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the 
Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the 
emergency declared in Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000, with 
respect to the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation 
of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of 
the Russian Federation is to continue beyond June 21, 2008.
    It remains a major national security goal of the United States to 
ensure that fissile material removed from Russian nuclear weapons 
pursuant to various arms control and disarmament agreements is dedicated 
to peaceful uses, subject to transparency measures, and protected from 
diversion to activities of proliferation concern. The accumulation of a 
large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the 
Russian Federation continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat 
to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For 
this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the 
national emergency declared with respect to the risk of nuclear 
proliferation created by the accumulation of a large volume of weapons-
usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation and 
maintain in force these emergency authorities to respond to this threat.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 June 18, 2008.

Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
June 19.