WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, today released the following statement regarding Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s plan to make significant investments in the nation’s nuclear weapons programs.  Hagel’s announcement followed a recent Department of Defense report highlighting the need to make significant improvements to our nuclear weapons program.

“Secretary Hagel’s announcement today confirms the need to modernize and invest in our entire nuclear enterprise – something I have often discussed,” Fischer said. “Our nuclear deterrent is the ultimate safeguard for our national security; Secretary Hagel described it as the highest priority mission in the Department of Defense.  However, as the Department’s reviews indicate, it has not received appropriate attention or resources, and the decades of neglect are beginning to catch up with us. It’s clear we need to make the necessary investments in personnel, facilities and equipment to ensure our nuclear deterrent is up-to-date and viable into the future.  I look forward to working with the Secretary on this issue and appreciate his attention to this critically important topic."

In October, Fischer and Sen. King (I-Maine) toured several nuclear weapons laboratories to meet with scientists tasked with maintaining our nuclear weapons programs with limited resources.