REP. LYNN WOOLSEY
SMART SECURITY & FY06 NUCLEAR WEAPONS
5 MINUTES
MAY 24, 2005

 

MR. SPEAKER, IN THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OF THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, MODERATOR JIM LEHRER ASKED THE CANDIDATES WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS THE SINGLE MOST SERIOUS THREAT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY TO THE UNITED STATES.

WITHOUT DELAY, SENATOR KERRY RESPONDED: “NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION.” WHEN PRESIDENT BUSH HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND, HE AGREED THAT NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION IS THE BIGGEST THREAT WE FACE AS A NATION.

IF THE PRESIDENT AGREES THAT NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION IS SUCH A GRAVE AND IMMEDIATE THREAT, THEN WHY DO HE AND HIS ADMINISTRATION CONTINUE TO SEEK THE CREATION OF NEW NUCLEAR WEAPONS?

WHY DOES THE PRESIDENT CONTINUE TO SEEK FUNDS TO STUDY THE CREATION OF THE ROBUST NUCLEAR EARTH PENETRATOR, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BUNKER BUSTER BOMB? WHY DOES THIS YEAR’S DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL RECOMMEND A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STUDY ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CREATING THE BUNKER BUSTER?

MR. SPEAKER, THE STATED PURPOSE OF THE BUNKER BUSTER IS TO DESTROY CAVES AND DIFFICULT-TO-REACH TERRORIST HIDEOUTS. BUT THE BUNKER BUSTER IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY, BECAUSE THE U.S. MILITARY IS ALREADY CAPABLE OF BOMBING THESE REMOTE LOCATIONS – WITHOUT THE USE OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

THE BUNKER BUSTER IS ALSO EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. A DETONATION OF THIS DEADLY WEAPON WOULD CREATE AN ENORMOUS, UNCONTROLLABLE EXPLOSION, SPREADING TOXIC RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS OVER A LARGE AREA. AN EXPLOSION COULD CAUSE THE DEATHS OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND DEVASTATE LARGE TRACTS OF LAND.

HOW MANY TIMES MUST WE CONSIDER THE MERITS – OR LACK THEREOF – OF THE BUNKER BUSTER BOMB? HOW MANY TIMES MUST SENSIBLE NONPROLIFERATION PRIORITIES COMPETE WITH A DANGEROUS NUCLEAR ARMS RACE?

TO ADDRESS THE TRUE SECURITY THREATS WE FACE, I HAVE INTRODUCED THE SMART SECURITY RESOLUTION, H. CON. RES. 158, WITH THE SUPPORT OF 49 OF MY HOUSE COLLEAGUES. SMART IS A SENSIBLE, MULTILATERAL, AMERICAN RESPONSE TO TERRORISM, AND IT ENCOURAGES RENEWED NONPROLIFERATION EFFORTS OVER CONTINUED NUCLEAR BUILDUP.

SMART URGES SUFFICIENT FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR NONPROLIFERATION EFFORTS IN COUNTRIES THAT POSSESS NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND MATERIALS. ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL IS THROUGH CTR – THE COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION PROGRAM.

THE COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION PROGRAM WORKS WITH RUSSIA TO DISMANTLE AND SAFEGUARD EXCESS NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND MATERIALS IN THE STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION. UNDER THIS PROGRAM, MORE THAN 20,000 RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS FORMERLY TASKED WITH CREATING NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE NOW WORKING TO DISMANTLE THEM.

THAT’S WHY SMART SECURITY INCLUDES ROBUST SUPPORT FOR THE CURRENT CTR MODEL – AS WELL AS AN EXPANSION OF THIS PROGRAM TO OTHER NATIONS THAT POSSESS EXCESS NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND MATERIALS.

TO PROMOTE THESE EFFORTS, EARLIER TODAY I INTRODUCED AN AMENDMENT TO THE DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL TO EXPAND CTR. MY AMENDMENT WOULD BRING THIS IMPORTANT PROGRAM TO LIBYA AND PAKISTAN, TWO COUNTRIES THAT ARE KNOWN TO POSSESS NUCLEAR MATERIALS.

WE NEED TO UTILIZE OUR DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH LIBYA AND PAKISTAN TO ENCOURAGE THESE COUNTRIES TO GIVE UP THEIR DANGEROUS NUCLEAR MATERIALS. AND THE BEST WAY TO DO SO IS THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION PROGRAM.

CTR IS BUT ONE OF THE BROAD ARRAY OF NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAMS IN THE SMART SECURITY RESOLUTION, AND AN EFFECTIVE ONE AT THAT. BUT ANY ATTEMPT TO RID THE WORLD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS MUST INCLUDE NONPROLIFERATION EFFORTS AT HOME, IN THE UNITED STATES.

WE MUST SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD BY FULFILLING OUR INTERNATIONAL PLEDGE TO END OUR OWN NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND DISMANTLE OUR EXISTING WEAPONS. CONTINUED EFFORTS TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF THE BUNKER BUSTER BOMB ARE THE VERY ANTITHESIS OF THESE INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS.

WHEN THE UNITED STATES ENGAGES IN THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, WE LOWER THE THRESHOLD FOR OTHER COUNTRIES TO PROLIFERATE AND POSSIBLY EVEN USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS. LET’S INSTEAD GET SMART ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND WORK BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD TO END THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR BOMBS.

SMART SECURITY SENDS THE MESSAGE THAT YOU DON’T NEED OLD NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO BE A WORLD POWER, BECAUSE DIPLOMACY IS OFTEN THE BEST RESPONSE TO GLOBAL CRISES. I URGE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES TO JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING THE SMART SECURITY RESOLUTION TO HELP MAKE AMERICA SAFER FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU, AND I YIELD BACK.