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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation 'Options For Transforming The Stockpile': US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, Letter on US Nuclear Weapons Development, September 22'Abraham commends Senate for nuclear weapons initiatives', Us Department of Energy (DOE) Press Release, R-03-219, September 22; DOE website, http://www.energy.gov. US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham commended the Senate today for keeping the President's nuclear weapons initiatives in the 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill in a letter to US Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and John Warner (R-VA). They led the effort to ensure that America's nuclear deterrent remains credible and effective while successfully defeating efforts aimed at blocking critical research related to America's nuclear stockpile. The Senate voted 53 to 41 to defeat an effort to block research into America's nuclear stockpile. Below is the text of the letter. "Dear Senator Domenici, I want to commend you and your Committee for your efforts in ensuring that the Senate version of the Energy and Water Appropriations Act supports the President's vision for ensuring that our nuclear deterrent remains credible and effective into the 21st century. By funding advanced concepts, you allow us to undertake limited research into options for transforming the stockpile to meet the needs of the post-Cold War world. By funding test readiness, you allow us to be in a position to respond if we discover a need to correct major problems in an existing weapon crucial to our deterrent. And by funding the continued examination of options for a Modern Pit Facility, you help us prepare for the day when aging requires us to remanufacture existing pits to ensure weapon effectiveness. Under your leadership, and with support from other leaders such as Senators Warner and Allard, your Committee and the Senate have twice overcome challenges from those who do not understand the importance of acting to maintain an effective nuclear deterrent. Your actions have moved us closer to the vision the President approved in his Nuclear Posture Review of a smaller, transformed deterrent to meet the needs of the future. I am happy that both the Senate and the House versions of the Authorization Act also support this vision. The nation will not, however, reap the benefits of the President's program unless the Senate action is sustained in Conference. The House version of the Appropriations Act precludes us from even investigating options for modest transformation of the stockpile and increases the risk we will be unable to respond to unforeseen technical problems. It thus represents a risk that the United States simply cannot afford to take. I urge you to insist that the important national security benefits of the Senate version are included in the final Appropriations Act. Once again, thank you for your continued leadership." © 2003 The Acronym Institute. |