A group of 18 Republican members of the House of Representatives, led by New York’s GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, have raised serious questions about the decision made by the Department of Energy (DOE) to invite officials from China and Russia to visit a key U.S. nuclear testing site.
This Nevada National Security Site is where the U.S. conducts sensitive nuclear experiments, and the invitation is part of showing that the U.S. is sticking to a promise not to test nuclear weapons, which has been in place for thirty years.
Stefanik and her fellow Republicans are not happy with this decision.
They believe it gives China and Russia too much insight into the U.S. nuclear weapons program.
This move, they say, could end up helping these countries figure out how to counter U.S. nuclear capabilities and improve their own, which is not in the interest of American security.
This issue is particularly pressing given recent events.
Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin has pulled back from a key nuclear arms control agreement with the U.S. and also stepped away from an international treaty that bans nuclear weapons tests.
These actions have been criticized by the U.S. State Department and suggest that relations between the two countries are not in good shape.
Republican Representative Doug Lamborn of Colorado, who is also involved in this matter, believes that letting potential adversaries see U.S. nuclear testing activities could allow them to understand and possibly copy U.S. methods.
This, he says, would hurt the ability of the U.S. to deter other countries through its nuclear strength.
Lamborn, who is in charge of a subcommittee focused on strategic forces, is shocked by the Biden administration’s decision to invite officials from China and Russia to these tests.
In reaction to these concerns, Lamborn has introduced legislation aimed at stopping foreign nationals from being able to witness U.S. nuclear weapons testing.
His bill has been added to a larger act concerning funding for energy and water development, which the House approved in late October.
The Republican group’s worries also include China’s growing nuclear capabilities.
The U.S. Department of Defense has warned that China might have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by the end of the 2020s, which is more than the U.S. had predicted before.
The Republicans argue that by allowing China this kind of access, without China giving anything back, the U.S. is essentially encouraging China to continue growing its nuclear arsenal.
Another Republican, Representative Rob Wittman of Virginia, is also troubled by the idea of America’s rivals having access to U.S. military sites and learning about U.S. nuclear capabilities.
He has joined his colleagues in demanding an explanation from the Biden administration for their decision to let officials from the Chinese and Russian Communist Parties into America’s most sensitive laboratories and testing facilities.
Together with Stefanik, Lamborn, and Wittman, other Republican Representatives like Joe Wilson, James Moylan, Bill Posey, and several others have signed the letter, showing a united front in their stance against this decision.
They view the administration’s move as a misstep that could compromise U.S. national security.