Rep. Ellen Tauscher Introduces Legislation to Restore America's Commitment to Stopping Spread of Nuclear Weapons

Press Release

Rep. Ellen Tauscher Introduces Legislation to Restore America's Commitment to Stopping Spread of Nuclear Weapons

Bill Urges Senate to Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Today, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced legislation calling on the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). While 140 nations have both signed and ratified the Treaty, the United States is one of only 10 remaining nations, including Syria and North Korea, which have not yet ratified the Treaty and whose action is needed for the Treaty to go into effect.

"There is no bigger threat than a nuclear weapon in the wrong hands. This legislation is an opportunity to for the United States to stand up for the basic principles of non-proliferation. In a dangerous world where new and emerging threats make themselves known every day, the U.S. needs to be the moral and diplomatic leader on this critical international security issue," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher.

By verifiably prohibiting "any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion," the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty would help constrain the development of new types of nuclear warheads by existing nuclear-weapons states—including China, Russia, India, and Pakistan— and impede the development of smaller, more easily deliverable warheads by would-be nuclear-weapons states, such as North Korea or Iran.

Today also saw the release of the omnibus appropriations bill that was negotiated by the House and Senate. It contained a slight increase supported by Rep. Tauscher for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) to $24 million. The CTBTO is the international organization established by the States Signatories to the Treaty in 1996. It carries out the necessary preparations for the effective implementation of the Treaty and works on the establishment of the 337 facility International Monitoring System as well as the International Data Center, and the development of operational manuals, including for on-site inspections.

"This is a very good step," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher. "My legislation coupled with this increase in funding sets us in the right direction toward a national re-commitment to non-proliferation standards."

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