Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

What the Administration and Key Democrats Say

by John Isaacs [contact information]

March 9, 2009

President Barack Obama

“One of my goals is to prevent nuclear proliferation generally. I think that it's important for the United States, in concert with Russia, to lead the way on this. And you know, I've mentioned this in conversations with the Russian president, Mr. Medvedev, to let him know that it is important for us to restart the conversation, about how we can start reducing our nuclear arsenals in an effective way, so that we then have the standing to go to other countries and start stitching back together the non- proliferation treaties that frankly have been weakened over the last several years.”

February 9, 2009 press conference

Vice President Joe Biden

“We can and should cooperate to secure loose nuclear weapons and materials to prevent their spread, to renew the verification procedures in the START Treaty, and then go beyond existing treaties to negotiate deeper cuts in both our arsenals. The United States and Russia have a special obligation to lead the international effort to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world.”

February 7, 2009 speech in Germany

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

“Therefore, while defending against the threat of terrorism, we will also seize the parallel opportunity to get America back in the business of engaging other nations to reduce stockpiles of nuclear weapons. We will work with Russia to secure their agreement to extend essential monitoring and verification provisions of the START Treaty before it expires in December 2009, and we will work toward agreements for further reductions in nuclear weapons.”

January 13, 2009 opening statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair John Kerry (D-MA)

“I will urge the Obama administration to embrace the goal of reducing our strategic nuclear arsenals to 1,000 deployed warheads and work to persuade the Russians to do the same. That number is more than enough to keep us and our allies safe, but it will tell the world that we are determined to fulfill our responsibilities to eventually eliminate these doomsday weapons. In conjunction, it is essential that the new administration immediately open serious discussions with the Russians on extending or replacing the landmark Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires in less than a year.”

January 13, 2009 Boston Globe op-ed

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

"Here's how President-elect Obama can change course. By law he must set forth his views on nuclear weapons in U.S. national security strategy, in his Nuclear Posture Review, by 2010. In it, he should commit the U.S. to working with Russia to lower each nation's arsenal of deployed nuclear warheads below the 1,700-2,200 the Moscow Treaty already calls for by 2013. It would be a strong step toward reducing our bloated arsenals, and signal the world that we have changed course."

January 3, 2009 Wall Street Journal op-ed

House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Chair Ellen Tauscher (D-CA)

"It's equally vital that the United States and Russia negotiate a legally binding replacement to START, which is scheduled to expire at the end of next year. Despite current tensions between both countries, we still need to work with Russia to reduce our arsenals."

September 2008 speech before the Progressive Policy Institute