REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE OUTLINES MODERNIZATION CONCERNS

Sessions’ assault on the Administration’s budget came at the same time that the Republican Policy Committee outlined its stance on the issue, which mirrored the concerns raised by Sessions and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), the leading voice among Senate Republicans on nuclear weapons issues. The committee is chaired by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). “President Obama promised resources for nuclear modernization during Senate ratification of New START, but once he secured treaty ratification, that promise quickly evaporated,” the committee said in a policy statement this week. “President Obama’s commitment to nuclear modernization will affect congressional support for New START implementation. It will also affect the President’s stated desire to negotiate even further nuclear reductions or complete other arms control agreements, such as the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.”