Ranking Member Shaheen Statement on President Trump's Decision Not to Extend New START

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after President Trump announced he will not extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty and instead pursue negotiations toward a new agreement:

"Preventing a costly and dangerous nuclear arms race should be a shared priority. While I welcome the President's stated interest in pursuing a new, modernized arms control agreement, letting New START expire without a binding successor agreement in place means we will lose the last remaining guardrails on Russian strategic nuclear forces. This leaves the United States at risk.

"Arms control is about verification, predictability and protecting U.S. national security. As negotiations move forward, both sides should continue observing New START's numerical limits to preserve strategic stability. The ultimate goal should be a binding, verifiable agreement. I urge the Administration to move quickly, engage Congress and our allies and ensure that any future framework strengthens the safeguards that have helped reduce nuclear risk for decades."

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