Turner to Introduce the Maintaining the President's Commitment to our Nuclear Deterrent and National Security Act of 2012

Statement

Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces announced his intention to introduce an updated version of the New START Implementation Act following the release of the President's budget next week:

"President Obama made a lot of promises to convince the Senate that it was safe to ratify the New START treaty. Without specific and detailed promises to modernize the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, delivery vehicles, and infrastructure, there is no doubt that the New START treaty would not have been approved.

"However, it is now clear based on actions within the Administration and announcements to the Congress, like the intention to delay the development of the next generation ballistic missile submarine and the delay in the first production unit of the B-61-12 bomb, that the President isn't keeping his word. It is now clear he will submit a budget next week that would be a significant reversal from the stated commitment, per his own section 1251 plan, to request at least $7.9 billion for the NNSA for FY13. He may also walk away from his direct pledge to build the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement (CMRR) facility at Los Alamos; this facility is key to the United States continuing its nuclear weapons enterprise.

"The ratification of the New START treaty was a package deal, and President Obama is now changing the terms of the Senate's ratification of the treaty. Congress cannot allow the President to walk away from his promises, nor can we afford to continue to reduce our nuclear forces to reach treaty mandated levels without the robust modernization of the remaining U.S. nuclear weapons forces the President promised."

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