Colleen Hanabusa, (D-HI, 1st)
“We are extremely concerned with the President’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) because it represents a profound shift in policy that undermines our national security and puts our allies, especially the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in a very difficult position. Additionally, like so many of the proposals offered by this administration, they do not provide a plan to pay for it. Congress does not have the money to fund the current $1.2 trillion plan to upgrade our nuclear arsenal.”
“While I agree with the NPR’s assessment that Russia presents our greatest nuclear threat, I do not think initiating new weapon systems and expanding our arsenal is the type of deterrence we should employ. Moreover, increasing our stockpile of low-yield nuclear weapons, particularly on submarines, sends the message that we are preparing for regional conflicts and more likely to use these weapons in targeted circumstances. Finally, the interactions between the President and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and our opaque, confusing relationship with the current Russian leadership, do not suggest we should increase this administration’s ability to initiate a nuclear arms race and risk conflict.”
Senator James M. Inhofe (R - OK)
“As long as there are nuclear weapons, the United States must possess an arsenal that can effectively deter any threat. President Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review recognizes we haven’t been keeping up with the progress of our adversaries and competitors, especially China and Russia. While our aging arsenal is effective for now, without a serious commitment to modernization, we are at risk of losing our strategic advantage.
“This Nuclear Posture Review looks to modernize and diversify our arsenal to keep up with new threats in a changing world. I commend President Trump for making this a priority of his administration, as he outlined in his State of the Union address this week.”
