Congressman Rick Larsen's Online Office

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) made the following statement in response to the President signing the New START Treaty. Larsen is a member of the House Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, which oversees nuclear weapons for the United States.

“I congratulate President Obama on signing the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia.  The President’s commitment to reducing the number of nuclear warheads will make the world a safer place.

“The New START Treaty will require the United States and Russia, the two largest nuclear powers in the world, to reduce the number of strategic nuclear warheads and launchers. This will send a strong message to the global community about our commitment to ending proliferation and securing nuclear materials around the world.

“This treaty will also allow the U.S. to maintain a safe and secure nuclear arsenal which will ensure that we protect our national security by maintaining defensive capabilities.

"Next week, President Obama will host leaders from around the world at a summit on nuclear security. I look forward to working with the Administration and my colleagues in Congress to achieve a vision of a world without nuclear weapons.

“As proven by months of negotiations, achieving tangible results from diplomacy can be difficult.  I commend the Administration for working hard to reach an agreement with Russia that serves both of our nations’ interests and sends a strong message about the need to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons globally. I urge the Senate to ratify this treaty as quickly as possible.

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