John Spratt: “the NIF is esoteric physics, but it is essential to the quest for reliability of nuclear weapons. If my colleagues…”

“the NIF is esoteric physics, but it is essential to the quest for reliability of nuclear weapons. If my colleagues believe, as I do that we should forebear testing and one day ratify the comprehensive test band treaty, believe me canceling NIF is not the way to do it. What does the NIF do? The NIF essentially creates the conditions inside of a thermonuclear weapon to an extent we have never been able to explore before, and it helps us to ensure the reliability of our nuclear weapons to validate these complex computer models that we have developed and know that they are reliable. Mr. Chairman, if we ask anyone to list the challenges to our security, almost everyone will say that this spread of fissile materials and nuclear weapons leads to less. One way to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons is to stop the testing that proves unfeasible, but it is hard for us to advocate that others should not test if we test. The CTBT, therefore, is one of the key pieces to this puzzle, but politically, the CTBT is unlikely to be ratified in country until we are satisfied that our arsenal is reliable and secure and to that end, the NIF is essential; that is why we must proceed with this project and defeat this amendment.”