Lawmakers Oppose U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Reduction

U.S. lawmakers from states housing nuclear missiles are working to block any potential reduction of the nation’s missile arsenal, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 20).

“We are training our sights, this is our focus,” said Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) 

The U.S. missile count is now at 500. Minuteman 3 missiles are located at bases in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Lawmakers from those states fear the Defense Department’s next military strategy review, due this year or early in 2006, could recommend maintaining fewer missiles.

Legislators last month asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld not to reduce the missile arsenal. Amendments calling for maintaining missile levels were added last week to Senate defense authorization and appropriations bills. Representative Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) on Friday introduced a bill that would set the 500-missile count as law.

“This is an uncertain and unstable world and it’s hard to predict the future,” Baucus said Monday. “These missiles were a good deterrent during the Cold War and they continue to be a good deterrent now” (Associated Press/Grand Forks Herald, Oct. 11).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.