I rise to talk about two very important issues for the country and for Louisiana. The first is fixing the national flood insurance system, getting it right. The good news is I think we are well on a path to doing that effectively. The…

This legislation makes important reforms to the VA leasing process taking into account CBO concerns, and it has received vast bipartisan support in the House passing 346-1. I urge my colleagues to provide the same support for our veterans…

reclaiming the floor and my time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.

I think we have a historic opportunity to come together in this committee on a bipartisan basis.

Are you aware of the budget growth EPA has had in the last 5 years or so?

It is a historic opportunity. It hasn't happened on this committee on any major environmental issue in decades.

In your opinion, should inherently safer technologies take into account factors such as risk shifting, unintended consequences, feasibility, and economic impacts?

They do this through constant surveillance of the stockpile and by implementing life extension programs (LEP) for warheads and bombs that are well past their design life.

Don't you think we're sacrificing something there?

I would suggest recent events with Russia, for instance, suggest that changes around the world may be more the norm than the exception.

Funding for NNSA weapons activities has come at the expense of nonproliferation programs.

The QDR also states that DOD will collaborate with the Department of Energy (DOE) when it comes to nuclear weapons and supporting infrastructure.

To me, this is really important.

I think the recommendation to remove all non-bomber-related missions from 8th Air Force and Global Strike was implemented, but the recommendation to assign all bombers to the 8th Air Force was not.

Our relationship and trust level with Russia has hit a recent all-time low, and yet we are talking about further nuclear reductions.

The NNSA and the National Labs are responsible for maintaining the effectiveness of our nuclear stockpile.

are we not significantly behind what was promised in those discussions?

I do question that. If we have nuclear weapons in the triad, for important strategic reasons, I think we should have them in the most effective, including cost-effective, way possible.

Despite the President's rhetoric of a world without nuclear weapons, the administration has announced its intention to maintain and modernize the nuclear triad.

Are we not about 34 percent short of the dollar commitment over 5 years that was promised, a $4.1 billion commitment?

So there are real concerns there about compliance?

I voted against it, in part because I did not have confidence that that stuff would happen.

when the Senate passed the New START treaty, there was a very clear set of discussions and agreement that that would be accompanied by major resources and modernization

Through a combination of funding shortfalls, virtually all of our modernization efforts are delayed or deferred.

Our relationship and trust level with the Russians has taken a nose dive. I just think all of that should add up to extreme caution about further nuclear reductions.