Press

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) today issued the following statements after President Obama announced his intention to drastically reduce America’s nuclear arsenal by one-third, below levels set by the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). They expressed concerns that the reductions would create unnecessary strategic risks and is a shortsighted policy that was decided without input from Congress. The plan ignores the dangers posed by a nuclear North Korea and Iran, the Senators said.

Johanns said, "The Cold War may be over but we still face dangerous threats as rogue nations like Iran and North Korea work to develop nuclear arsenals. This announcement ignores the fact Russia has not complied with previous arms control treaties and that changes to our nuclear arsenal should not be made through executive fiat. The Administration owes it to the American people to explain how this impacts our national security and that of our closest allies. Simply put, now is not the time to draw down our defenses or weaken any part of our nuclear triad."

Fischer said, “A brief survey of the global stage makes clear the announcement to reduce one-third of our nuclear deterrent couldn't come at a worse time. Russia and China are continuing to modernize their nuclear forces while dangerous proliferation threats remain from North Korea and Iran. The United States is already reducing its nuclear deterrent to comply with the New START Treaty obligations. Further disarmament is premature. A robust nuclear deterrent has kept us safe since World War II and remains a cornerstone of U.S. national security policy. Numerous witnesses, including the current Secretary of Defense and Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, have testified before Congress about the need to maintain and modernize our current force levels – not reduce them dramatically.”

America’s ballistic missile force dramatically decreases the risk of nuclear war by providing a stabilizing and visible constant in our nuclear posture. A lower number of nuclear forces could encourage other nuclear powers to become nuclear peers with the U.S. and Russia. It could also inspire more non-nuclear countries to acquire their own nuclear deterrents in response.

Johanns is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Fischer is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

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