Sam Gejdenson: “I rise in support of H.R. 4249, a bill I introduced to foster cooperation and environmental cleanup in Northern Europe.…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 4249, a bill I introduced to foster cooperation and environmental cleanup in Northern Europe. I thank Chairman Gilman for his assistance with this legislation. I also thank all of the bipartisan co-sponsors of this bill, particularly my friend from Nebraska, Mr. Bereuter, who spoke eloquently and forcefully in Committee on the threats that this bill addresses. Many people thought that the problem of decaying Soviet-era nuclear submarines would just disappear with the end of the Cold War, but the threat is real and it persists. My legislation seeks to address this problem and other regional challenges through the important framework of the Northern Europe Initiative (NEI). The NEI is a U.S. launched initiative to promote stability in the Baltic Sea region and to strengthen key institutions and security structures of the United States and the countries of Northern Europe. The remarkable work of the Combined Threat Reduction Program, better known as Nunn-Lugar, has facilitated the dismantlement of 12 strategic missile submarines and 46 submarine launched ballistic missiles--those parts of the old Soviet fleet deemed most of a threat to U.S. National Security. But over 150 decaying nuclear submarines remain floating in Russian ports, vulnerable to theft and tampering. Recent events show how dangerous this situation is for the region and therefore for U.S. National Security.”