EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

May 12, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 1021

THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF V–E

DAY

HON. MARTIN R. HOKE OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, May 12, 1995

Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, just a few days

ago we celebrated the 50th anniversary of

V–E Day, signifying the defeat of Nazi Germany. But as we celebrate the end of the Second World War we must remember that we

are approaching another milestone, the 50th

anniversary of the birth of the nuclear age.

On July 16, 1945, at Alamogordo, NM, a

small group of scientists and soldiers witnessed the detonation of a primitive implosion

‘‘Fat Man’’ type bomb. This was the Trinity

test, the first nuclear weapons test ever conducted.

In the decades since the Trinity test we

have seen the other great powers—the Soviet

Union, China, Great Britain, and France—develop and deploy nuclear weapons. During the

cold war the Soviet Union, with its ability to

turn America into a nuclear wasteland, was

the singular threat to the United States.

However, the collapse of the Soviet Union

and the end of the cold war has not seen the

end of the nuclear threat against the United

States. Indeed, although the threat of a massive nuclear attack on the United States has

receded, the possibility of one or more nuclear

weapons being used against American military

forces overseas or even on an American city

has grown significantly.

We as a nation have only a limited number

of recourses to stem the growing worldwide

nuclear threat. First, we must act aggressively

to stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons

and ballistic missile technology. This entails

not only seeking the extension of passive

international agreements such as the Nuclear

Non-Proliferation Treaty, but for the negotiation and rigid enforcement of international nuclear and missile technology control regimes.

Further, we must act to isolate and defang

those nations that through their possession of

or attempts to gain nuclear and missile technology pose serious threats to international

peace.

We absolutely must develop and deploy a

ballistic missile defense system that will not

only protect American troops overseas but that

will also protect the American people in their

homes and at their workplaces from the threat

of a nuclear attack with ballistic missiles. Indeed, I have personally urged Secretary of

Defense William Perry to make ballistic missile

defense the highest priority within the defense

budget.

But most importantly, the United States

must maintain its nuclear deterrent. To date,

no nation has been able to ignore the possibility of its destruction by an American retaliation

triggered by the use of nuclear weapons

against the United States or its allies.

Of course, the size of America’s nuclear deterrent can and will shrink as the strategic

arms reduction treaties are fully complied with.

But while the START treaties have called for

significantly lower nuclear arsenals for the

United States and Russia, they cannot and do

not pretend to put the nuclear genie back in

the bottle.

Even with fewer nuclear weapons the

United States must maintain the integrity of

its nuclear deterrent and must maintain the

ability to modernize and replace its existing

nuclear weapons systems as they age. Since

1977 the Department of Energy has been responsible for safeguarding these capabilities,

but under the current administration it has

failed to adequately meet the minimum requirements of maintaining the operational

readiness of our nuclear weapons stockpile.

Nuclear testing has been instrumental to the

United States’ nuclear deterrent by: first, testing or verifying new scientific principals and

theoretical calculations; second, proving the

engineering, fabrication and integration of

components; and third, obtaining information

on the effects of weapons for scientific and

military purposes. The Clinton administration

has unilaterally extended a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing and ceased nuclear

weapons research and development, thus allowing a level of uncertainty to creep into the

safety, reliability, and performance of our nuclear weapons.

The administration established the Stockpile

Stewardship Program to explore means other

than nuclear testing—such as by computer

modeling—to maintain confidence in the safety, reliability, and performance of nuclear

weapons, and to ensure that the United

States’ capability to produce nuclear weapons

will not disappear. While the Stockpile Stewardship Program may eventually produce useful results, it is a highly risky strategy because

much of the program is based upon the development of advanced computer and other technologies that may not be achieved.

Furthermore, according to senior officials

within the Energy and Defense Departments,

the research conducted under the Stockpile

Stewardship Program is underfunded by at

least $400 million annually. This funding deficiency is seriously eroding the United States’

ability to maintain the complex scientific and

industrial base necessary to maintain a safe

and reliable nuclear deterrent. The lack of new

design work means that no new systems will

be available to replace older weapons systems, and that maintaining the irreplaceable

base of specialized scientists and technicians

which make up the weapon design team will

become difficult, if not impossible.

Thus, I am introducing legislation today that

calls for the termination of the Department of

Energy’s oversight of the United States’ defense-related nuclear infrastructure and establishes a civilian-controlled Department of Defense associated agency—the Defense Nuclear Programs Agency [DNPA].

The DNPA will assume responsibility for all

national security functions of the Department

of Energy, including defense, nonproliferation,

and defense-related environmental management programs. The DNPA will also assume

direct oversight of the defense and

nondefense functions and budgets of the Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, and Sandia National Laboratories. In addition, several Defense Department functions will be transferred

to the DNPA.

The Administrator of the DNPA, who must

be a civilian, will function under the direction

of the Secretary of Defense, and will also

serve as the principal advisor to the President

and the Secretary of Defense on defense nuclear programs matters. This structure will ensure continued civilian control and management of the nuclear weapons infrastructure,

and will also ensure that this infrastructure and

the armed services have a more efficient and

responsive relationship.

This legislation fully conforms with the 104th

Congress’ desire to eliminate the Department

of Energy by terminating DOE’s management

of defense nuclear programs and establishing

an organization that will ensure that the United

States’ nuclear deterrent remains effective.

HONORING MSGR. JOHN J.

fDOHERTY

HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, May 12, 1995

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, 1995 makes two

major milestones in the life of Msgr. John

Doherty. On January 27, he celebrated his

15th anniversary in the priesthood and on

June 25, he will celebrate his farewell mass at

Saint Gabriel’s Parish, located in my congressional district.

What stands out most about Monsignor

Doherty is not only his commitment to his faith

but his commitment to his community. The

Monsignor was a founding member and for 14

years, a member of the board of directors of

the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy

Coalition, a neighborhood activist group, credited with the rehabilitation of the Bronx, restoring financial reinvestment by banks and insurance companies and the rebuilding of scores

of homes and apartment houses in the north

Bronx.

Monsignor Doherty has been the recipient of

the Riverdalian of the Year award from the

Riverdale Community Council, the Good

Neighbor Award from Neighborhood House as

well as numerous citations from the New York

State Legislature and the New York City

Council. Monsignor Doherty also honored us

by offering the opening prayer for a session of

the U.S. House of Representatives.

I join with the people of the Bronx in honoring Msgr. John Doherty and thank him for his

years of service.