James A. Leach: “I rise in deep respect for the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Hobson; and I recognize how difficult it is to establish…”

“I rise in deep respect for the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Hobson; and I recognize how difficult it is to establish budget priorities within the limits provided. Nevertheless, I think it is important to note that there are many lessons of 9/11; and the one that stands out is it is relatively easy to destroy. A few can inflict havoc on the many with advanced economies being more vulnerable than less advanced ones to terrorist acts. Significantly, what distinguishes this generation of citizens of the world from all others is that we are the first generation able not only to cause war or inflict anarchy but to destroy civilization itself. Weapons of mass destruction have been invented, refined, and access provided to a wider and wider group of nation states and potentially to terrorist organizations. In the most profound observation of the last century, Einstein noted that splitting the atom had changed everything except our way of thinking. In this context I think there has never been a more important time to give threat reduction assistance and arms control a chance. The goals of this Global Threat Reduction Initiative includes securing and/or removing vulnerable, high-risk nuclear and radiological materials throughout the world and minimizing or eliminating the use of highly enriched uranium. This amendment would add $27 million to the program and provide for acceleration of efforts to secure highly enriched uranium and other radiological materials.…”