Delia Ramirez: “I thank Congressman McGovern for holding this Special Order hour to discuss the very real threat nuclear weapons…”

“I thank Congressman McGovern for holding this Special Order hour to discuss the very real threat nuclear weapons represent to our shared safety and our peace. Mr. Speaker, it has been almost 80 years since the beginning of the nuclear age. Given where we are at this precise moment, the risks posed by nuclear weapons feels real, it feels present, and it feels tangible. Despite warnings from advocates and the United Nations, the threat of nuclear escalation is on the rise. In fact, our Nation's leadership has played an important role in either mitigating or escalating this dangerous reality. What we do and how we lead and what we say to the world will continue to be a crucial factor in the nuclear arms race and war in the years to come. Mr. Speaker, I am tired of saying it, but words matter, and I quote: ``Let it be an arms race. We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all.'' That was the incoming President's answer to the question of a possible nuclear war back in 2016. We know that, as our Nation and other States agreed in a 2022 declaration, nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Despite the claims of warmongers, including our President-elect and the military industrial complex, nuclear weapons are not defensive or an effective strategy for deterrence. The bottom line is nuclear weapons are tools of war, death, and mass destruction.…”