Ted Poe: “Recently, U.S. officials stated that Russia deployed a fully operational cruise missile. This is a violation of the arms…”

“Recently, U.S. officials stated that Russia deployed a fully operational cruise missile. This is a violation of the arms control treaty between the United States and Russia. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty bans the U.S. and Russia from possessing, producing, or testing a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 to 5,000 kilometers. We have suspected Russia of violating the treaty in the past--for at least the last 10 years--but the last administration didn't pay much attention to it. He asked the State Department to gently ask the Russians to please come back into compliance, but that did not work. So last year, in the NDAA bill, Representative Mike Rogers and I sanctioned Russia for INF violations for the first time. Now we have introduced H.R. 1182, preparing the United States to develop its own missiles. It is not in the United States' national security interest to abide by a treaty when we are the only ones abiding by it. And that is just the way it is. ____________________”