Don Bacon: “I stand in strong opposition to this bill, as someone who had nuclear command and control authorities when I was a…”

“I stand in strong opposition to this bill, as someone who had nuclear command and control authorities when I was a general officer in the Air Force, as someone who knows that nuclear and strategic deterrence is job number one for our military. Today, China is building a nuclear force to match ours and is more modernized. Russia has a nuclear force today that matches ours in numbers and is more modernized. This is not the time to reduce. Former STRATCOM Commander Admiral Richard said the Chinese nuclear expansion is breathtaking, and it is. Today is the day that we have to modernize our forces, not talk about reducing them or cutting them down. I also point out that our ICBM force offers the highest rates of readiness and alert capabilities. Once they are put in, they are the cheapest to operate. Mr. Chair, I urge defeat of this amendment. Our country cannot afford it. Strategic deterrence can't afford it. Nuclear deterrence can't afford it.”