Charles Skelton: “Mr. Speaker, during the Presidential debates of 2004, there was one point of consensus between the two candidates that…”

“Mr. Speaker, during the Presidential debates of 2004, there was one point of consensus between the two candidates that is important for us in our debate today. In answer to the question of what is the single most threat to the national security of the United States, both candidates agree that nuclear proliferation and weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists was the biggest threat. This view was shared by the 9/11 Commission, which recommended a vital effort to prevent and counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. H.R. 1 will help put the United States much further down the path to addressing the problem of weapons of mass destruction, proliferation, and terrorism. It will strengthen the Cooperative Threat Reduction program also, known as the Nunn-Lugar program, as well as the Department of Energy's nonproliferation programs. It will strengthen and expand the multinational Proliferation Security Initiative started by this administration and will establish a new Coordinator for the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation, and Terrorism.”