No United States inspections of Russian nuclear facilities have taken place in a year, threatening our national security. The U.S. has not conducted a single on-the-ground inspection of a Russian nuclear facility since START expired on December 5, 2009. Without American inspectors verifying Russia’s nuclear weapons, our insight into Russia’s arsenal is limited and our…
There is broad, bipartisan support among national security experts and political leaders in favor of ratifying the New START Treaty with Russia. The New START Treaty limiting the U.S. and Russia’s Cold War-era nuclear arsenals is considered critical for maintaining strategic stability in our relations, enhancing the global nonproliferation regime, and, in effect, advancing U.S.…
Overview: On April 8, 2010, following a year of intense negotiations, Presidents Obama and Medvedev signed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). The New START Treaty replaces the 1991 START Treaty which expired on 12/5/09. New START limits the number of strategic offensive arms of the US and Russia (within seven years of the…
Ballistic missile: A missile that is a weapon-delivery vehicle that has a ballistic trajectory over most of its flight path. Basing area: A permanent facility that supports the long-term operations of a particular strategic offensive system on a permanent basis and is distinguishable from temporary stationing. Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPGS): The ability to deliver…
In the coming days, the Senate may consider H.R.4451, the legislative vehicle for passing the Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act. This legislation is the product of negotiations between the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, manufacturers, energy efficiency advocates, and consumer groups. The provisions included in this bill were originally included in S.1462…
On November 30, federal unemployment insurance benefits are set to expire. Without reauthorization, more than 2 million Americans will lose eligibility for these critical benefits by the end of December. These temporary benefits provide millions of jobless Americans with a portion of their former wages while they look for work, helping American families buy groceries…
Earlier this year, Congress passed and the President signed landmark health insurance reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (P.L. 111-152), and Americans are already experiencing the benefits. These two laws, together referred to as the Affordable Care Act, put control over health…
NOTE The following section-by-section analysis of S.510 reflects the legislation, as reported to the Senate floor by the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act would help to address serious deficiencies in our nation’s food safety system. As the legislation was developed, questions were raised about the applicability of certain…
The need to improve our nation’s food safety laws is being heightened by a series of high-profile food safety incidents. The following index catalogues some of the most notable public health, economic, food import, and polling statistics that underscore the need for improvement in our food safety system. Top Ten Food Safety Statistics 1. …
Earlier this year, Congress passed and the President signed landmark health insurance reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (P.L. 111-152), and Americans are already experiencing the benefits. These two laws, together referred to as the Affordable Care Act, put control over health…