U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, Congress’ Lone Ph.D. Physicist, Issues Statement on Expiration of New START Treaty

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement:

"Today, the last remaining limits on the world's two largest nuclear arsenals disappear, and the world is now more vulnerable to nuclear escalation than at any point in the last fifteen years.

"Historically, agreements like New START were supported by Democratic and Republican administrations alike because they made the United States safer. Today, that system has frayed. We have a president who pays lip service to the existential risk of nuclear weapons, but hasn't taken the necessary steps to reduce that risk. His Truth Social post from today at least signals an openness to strong and enduring arms control agreements; whether his administration follows through remains to be seen.

"Anyone who remembers past arms control negotiations understands the gravity of this moment. Putin's Russia has repeatedly shown that it views nuclear weapons not simply as a deterrent of last resort, but also as a tool of political blackmail. As Congress' Ph.D. physicist, I've been sounding the alarm on this issue for years and remain deeply engaged in working across the aisle to decrease nuclear risk. I am calling on both nations to abide by the numerical limits set under New START until a new agreement is signed."

Congressman Foster leads 27 colleagues in the House on H.Res.100, condemning Russia's suspension of its participation in New START and calling on the administration to pursue arms control talks with Russia and China. Last month, Congressman Foster hosted a Special Order Hour on the expiration of the New START Treaty, which can be found here.

Before he became a Member of Congress, Foster worked as a high-energy physicist and particle accelerator designer at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). He was a member of the team that discovered the top quark, the heaviest known form of matter. He also led the teams that designed and built several scientific facilities and detectors still in use today, including the Antiproton Recycler Ring, the latest of Fermilab's giant particle accelerators.

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