House Supports Fortenberry Measure to Modernize Cooperative Threat Reduction

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry sponsored a successful measure to modernize the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. Fortenberry's amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act has been adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Nuclear weapons continue to pose a serious threat to our national security and global stability, particularly with the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East," Fortenberry said. "The amendment is an important step forward in broadening our nuclear nonproliferation efforts."

The Fortenberry amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to build upon and modernize the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program for application in the Middle East and North Africa. It was initially established by then-Senators Sam Nunn (D-GA) and Dick Lugar (R-IN) to combat the spread of loose nuclear materials in the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War.

Fortenberry previously introduced the Cooperative Threat Reduction Modernization Act (H.R. 2314) as standalone legislation in the House of Representatives.

Fortenberry is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and co-founder of the Nuclear Security Working Group.

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