Lugar Legislation Included in Final Defense Authorization Bill
Congressional Desk
October 22, 2009
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar welcomed the inclusion of language similar to the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Improvement Act of 2009 into the final National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 that will soon be considered by both the House of Representatives and Senate.
"The conferees on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 have included important authorities that will improve U.S. national security through the Nunn-Lugar program," Lugar said. "I am pleased with the flexibility in authorities and increases in funding the Nunn-Lugar program has been given in this important bill and I urge its passage."
Lugar introduced the Nunn-Lugar program improvement legislation, S. 873, on April 23, 2009.
Under the conference report, Nunn-Lugar would have more flexibility to meet unexpected threats or in locations around the world in which certain laws would bar the use of such funds. The Defense Department would have authority to spend up to 10 percent of annual Nunn-Lugar program funds notwithstanding any other law to meet these urgent threats where certain laws unnecessarily prevent the United States from addressing proliferation challenges under the Nunn-Lugar program.
The final bill would also include an important authority that allows the Secretary of Defense to accept funds from foreign governments, international organizations, multinational entities, and other entities to contribute to a fund for activities carried out under the Nunn-Lugar program. Such contributions could not be accepted without enactment of this authority.
The final bill also includes an increase of $20 million over the amount requested for Nunn-Lugar in fiscal year 2010 for a total of $424.1 million. This important increase in funding will permit Nunn-Lugar to take on new tasks in new countries, principally in the area of biological threat reduction.
"Over the last 16 years, the Nunn-Lugar program has made tremendous progress on the destruction and dismantlement of massive Soviet weapons systems and the facilities that developed them. In the future, the program will be asked to address much more complex and diverse security threats in a larger number of countries," Lugar said.
In November 1991, Lugar (R-IN) and former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) authored the Nunn-Lugar Act, which established the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. This program has provided U.S. funding and expertise to help the former Soviet Union safeguard and dismantle its enormous stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, related materials, and delivery systems. Under a Lugar-led expansion of the program in 2003, Congress authorized the Nunn-Lugar program to operate outside the former Soviet Union to address proliferation threats. In 2004, Nunn-Lugar funds were committed for the first time outside of the former Soviet Union to destroy chemical weapons in Albania. In 2007, Lugar announced the complete destruction of Albania´s chemical weapons.
The Nunn-Lugar scorecard now totals 7,514 strategic nuclear warheads deactivated, 752 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) destroyed, 498 ICBM silos eliminated, 143 ICBM mobile launchers destroyed, 643 submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) eliminated, 476 SLBM launchers eliminated, 31 nuclear submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles destroyed, 155 bomber eliminated, 906 nuclear air-to-surface missiles (ASMs) destroyed, 194 nuclear test tunnels eliminated, 444 nuclear weapons transport train shipments secured, upgraded security at 24 nuclear weapons storage sites, and built and equipped 18 biological monitoring stations. Perhaps most importantly, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus are nuclear weapons free as a result of cooperative efforts under the Nunn-Lugar program. Those countries were the third, fourth and eighth largest nuclear weapons powers in the world.
Lugar makes annual oversight trips to Nunn-Lugar sites around the world.
"The conferees on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 have included important authorities that will improve U.S. national security through the Nunn-Lugar program," Lugar said. "I am pleased with the flexibility in authorities and increases in funding the Nunn-Lugar program has been given in this important bill and I urge its passage."
Lugar introduced the Nunn-Lugar program improvement legislation, S. 873, on April 23, 2009.
Under the conference report, Nunn-Lugar would have more flexibility to meet unexpected threats or in locations around the world in which certain laws would bar the use of such funds. The Defense Department would have authority to spend up to 10 percent of annual Nunn-Lugar program funds notwithstanding any other law to meet these urgent threats where certain laws unnecessarily prevent the United States from addressing proliferation challenges under the Nunn-Lugar program.
The final bill would also include an important authority that allows the Secretary of Defense to accept funds from foreign governments, international organizations, multinational entities, and other entities to contribute to a fund for activities carried out under the Nunn-Lugar program. Such contributions could not be accepted without enactment of this authority.
The final bill also includes an increase of $20 million over the amount requested for Nunn-Lugar in fiscal year 2010 for a total of $424.1 million. This important increase in funding will permit Nunn-Lugar to take on new tasks in new countries, principally in the area of biological threat reduction.
"Over the last 16 years, the Nunn-Lugar program has made tremendous progress on the destruction and dismantlement of massive Soviet weapons systems and the facilities that developed them. In the future, the program will be asked to address much more complex and diverse security threats in a larger number of countries," Lugar said.
In November 1991, Lugar (R-IN) and former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) authored the Nunn-Lugar Act, which established the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. This program has provided U.S. funding and expertise to help the former Soviet Union safeguard and dismantle its enormous stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, related materials, and delivery systems. Under a Lugar-led expansion of the program in 2003, Congress authorized the Nunn-Lugar program to operate outside the former Soviet Union to address proliferation threats. In 2004, Nunn-Lugar funds were committed for the first time outside of the former Soviet Union to destroy chemical weapons in Albania. In 2007, Lugar announced the complete destruction of Albania´s chemical weapons.
The Nunn-Lugar scorecard now totals 7,514 strategic nuclear warheads deactivated, 752 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) destroyed, 498 ICBM silos eliminated, 143 ICBM mobile launchers destroyed, 643 submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) eliminated, 476 SLBM launchers eliminated, 31 nuclear submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles destroyed, 155 bomber eliminated, 906 nuclear air-to-surface missiles (ASMs) destroyed, 194 nuclear test tunnels eliminated, 444 nuclear weapons transport train shipments secured, upgraded security at 24 nuclear weapons storage sites, and built and equipped 18 biological monitoring stations. Perhaps most importantly, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus are nuclear weapons free as a result of cooperative efforts under the Nunn-Lugar program. Those countries were the third, fourth and eighth largest nuclear weapons powers in the world.
Lugar makes annual oversight trips to Nunn-Lugar sites around the world.
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