Jerry Nadler: “The greatest danger this country faces is that al Qaeda or some other terrorist group will get nuclear weapons. The…”

“The greatest danger this country faces is that al Qaeda or some other terrorist group will get nuclear weapons. The greatest danger of that happening is that they will get weapons grade material from the former Soviet Union, which has enough weapons grade plutonium and uranium to manufacture 40,000 nuclear weapons lying around, not guarded properly and subject to theft or sale on the black market. What we ought to do is buy all this material from the Russians from between 25 to $30 billion so we can take possession of it and protect it from theft or sale. My amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a study to Congress examining the costs and benefits of purchasing all the ex-Soviet Union's weapons grade plutonium and uranium in fiscal year 2005 and safeguarding it from smuggling or theft until it can be rendered unusable for weapons. I am glad that this study of doing what I regard as essential to protect this country from the possibility of al Qaeda having a nuclear weapon with which to attack us is included in this amendment and I, therefore, support it.”