Pete Domenici: “a front page article in yesterday's New York Times announced an agreement that will halt Russia's production of…”

“a front page article in yesterday's New York Times announced an agreement that will halt Russia's production of plutonium from spent fuel used in its civilian power reactors. In exchange for a Russian moratorium on plutonium reprocessing, the United States will provide a $100 million joint research and aid. I strongly support these efforts and believe that this proposal will help to reduce the threat of proliferation from nuclear materials in Russia. However, as we pursue new initiatives to better safeguard Russia's civilian plutonium, we must not waver in our support for the more urgent task of disposing of their weapons plutonium. The 50 tons of military-grade plutonium that Russia has agreed is surplus could fuel more than 6,000 modern weapons. I'm pleased that the Administration is also recognizing that the lower-grade, civilian, plutonium presents some risk--but we must continue to place our highest priority on their military materials, which represent a significantly higher risk.”