A group of U.S. Senators recently introduced legislation that would stop the United States from entering into a 21st Century nuclear arms race.
The Prevention of Arms Race Act of 2018 is sponsored by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
It would prohibit funding for a U.S. ground-launched or ballistic missile – with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers – until the Trump Administration provides a report that meets five specific conditions.
It stems from President Donald Trump’s announcement on Oct. 20 that he intended to unilaterally withdraw the United States from the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia. The INF was initially signed by President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987.
Merkley said the move would alienate the United States from its allies and risk the return of Cold War postures.
“A new nuclear arms race would be costly to our treasury and dangerous for the world. Today, we are coming together to send a message: Congress must not fund new ground-launched or ballistic missiles that will fuel a dangerous arms race across the globe,” Merkley said. “Instead, President Trump should convene U.S. allies at the G-20 Summit later this week to develop a unified approach to resolve Russia’s violation of the Treaty.”
Warren said Trump should stick with this agreement that was negotiated by President Ronald Reagan.
“Withdrawing from the INF Treaty is yet another example of the Trump Administration’s dangerous and costly embrace of nuclear weapons, and the Prevention of Arms Race Act would help reverse this misguided policy,” Warren said.
Russia was declared to be in violation of the Treaty in 2014. A withdrawal puts the possibility of bringing Russia back into compliance with the treaty further out of reach. If Trump withdraws, Russia would not be legally constrained from deploying larger numbers of their previously illegal missiles, Gillibrand said.
“Without question, Russia is violating the INF Treaty. But threatening American withdrawal will not increase our negotiating leverage; it only falls hook, line, and sinker for Putin’s predictable attempts to goad the United States into justifying Russian noncompliance,” Markey said. “The Trump administration needs to work more closely with our NATO allies to force Russia back into compliance.”
The INF Treaty led to the elimination of 2,692 U.S. and Russian nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles.
Additionally, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a resolution sponsored by Merkley and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) that calls upon the Trump Administration to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) until 2021. The resolution also urges diplomatic means to resolve Russia’s violation of the INF.