Political Quotes

“I rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment and wish to say, first of all, it is unnecessary because there are no funds in the FY14 bill that are allocated to be used for nuclear weapons reductions below the New START levels. The amendment, in my opinion, is constitutionally questionable because it impinges on the President's ability to set U.S. nuclear weapons policy and usurp's the President's ability to retire, dismantle, or eliminate non-deployed nuclear weapons. {time} 1845 This amendment restricts the President's constitutional authority to negotiate international agreements, including sole executive agreements for arms reductions; and it impinges on the President's authority to determine the number of strategic delivery vehicles needed to meet national security requirements and implement changes in those forces, as appropriate. And it limits the President's authority to determine appropriate force structure to meet nuclear deterrence requirements and to set nuclear employment policy, an authority exercised by every President in the nuclear age. Frankly, it is bad policy. Blocking nuclear weapons reduction is out of step with post-Cold War and post-9/11 security environment.…”