On the recordDecember 21, 2010
I rise today to echo the call of the Senators and Presidents who have furthered the cause of peace. I rise to continue this body's longstanding work to reduce the threat that nuclear weapons still pose to our Nation and world. Much has changed since the groundbreaking arms treaties of the 1990s. The cold war has ended, and with its end the balance of power changed greatly. But the threat of nuclear war has not entirely gone away. Over the last decade, we have seen the U.S. attacked on 9-11. And we learned about al-Qaida's ambition to acquire a weapon of mass destruction. One mishap or one intentional attack is all that is needed to throw our entire global society into a tailspin. Thanks to the work done through Nunn-Lugar, the U.S. has been involved in efforts since the end of the cold war to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands. But today, with our resources spread thin due to two wars overseas and the threat from failed states and unstable regimes in possession of nuclear weapons the risk of nuclear proliferation has steadily increased. That is why the goal articulated by President Kennedy, built upon by President Reagan, and further advanced by President Obama is more important than ever. Moving toward a world with zero nuclear weapons is a move toward a safer and more peaceful future. Through committed negotiations on the New START treaty, the U.S. and Russia have renewed their commitments to this important goal.
