Steve Daines: “I stand in strong opposition to this amendment, which amounts to the unilateral reduction of our nuclear forces.…”

“I stand in strong opposition to this amendment, which amounts to the unilateral reduction of our nuclear forces. Unilateral reductions of our nuclear forces are wrong for national security--period. These reductions have been directly and explicitly recommended against by the Joint Chiefs and senior DOD civilian officials, all who have said that reductions must be made bilaterally in concert with Russia. I am deeply concerned that not only is this proposal to unilaterally disarm unwise; it is also shortsighted. It could seriously diminish the long-term security of our Nation. We face a world today in which nuclear threats to the United States are increasing and our conventional military capabilities face dramatic reductions. Given this, our nuclear deterrent is becoming more important, not less. Malmstrom Air Force Base, in my home State of Montana, is home to 150 of our Nation's intercontinental ballistic missiles. Earlier this year, I visited Malmstrom and I met with the leaders of the 341st Missile Wing to discuss the importance of our ICBM mission to our national security. Colonel Robert W. Stanley, the commander at Malmstrom, gave me this commander's coin, which bears a motto that truly sums up why our defense strategy is effective. It says this: ``Scaring the hell out of America's enemies since 1962.'' This motto clearly demonstrates the importance of our peace-through- strength strategy.…”