Clinton and Kerry lay out progressive nuclear agenda

by Ben Loehrke

The incoming foreign policy leadership is preparing to take the reins, and reducing global nuclear threats was cast as a clear priority on the hill this afternoon. Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton in her confirmation hearing today laid out a detailed progressive agenda to reduce current nuclear arsenals and prevent nuclear proliferation. The incoming Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry added support to this in his comments in an editorial in the Boston Globe.

Sen. Clinton in her opening statement put forth policy goals seeking Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, preventing proliferation in Iran and North Korea, securing nuclear materials and assets, and returning as a leader to the nonproliferation regime. She outlined the administration’s will to work with Russia towards reductions in nuclear arsenals and take U.S. and Russian missiles off hair-trigger alert. She also gave priority to extending the monitoring and verification provisions of START. Sen. Richard Lugar in his opening statement for the hearing indicated bipartisan support for this, saying that “it is vital” for START be renewed.

Sen. Kerry offered detailed goals of reducing U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals to 1,000 deployed warheads and reaffirmed the goal of full ratification of the CTBT.  He also stressed the necessity of these policies, stating that “no issue is more urgent than dealing with nuclear proliferation.”