WASHINGTON, DC – During a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) secured a commitment from President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration, former Congressman Brandon Williams, that he would advise against resuming explosive nuclear testing at the Nevada National Security Site.
New York Times: Nuclear Testing not advised, Trump’s Nominee says in Senate hearing
By William Broad
- Brandon Williams, President Trump’s pick to become the keeper of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, testified on Tuesday that he would not recommend that Mr. Trump restart explosive testing of the deadly weapons.
- On Tuesday during Mr. Williams’s confirmation hearing, Senator Jacky Rosen, Democrat of Nevada, argued pointedly against a restart, noting that her state hosted nearly 1,000 nuclear weapon tests, most of them underground, during the Cold War.
- She characterized her state as “ground zero” for such tests and said that “millions of people and acres of land were contaminated by radiation” during the Cold War, adding that “we must not ever return” to such risky practices.
- A resumption of testing, she said, “could ignite a dangerous, deadly and costly nuclear arms race for no reason.”
- She then asked Mr. Williams what his advice to Mr. Trump would be if he were to seek guidance “about returning to explosive nuclear tests.”
- During his reply, Mr. Williams said the decision “would certainly be above my pay grade” were he confirmed. But Ms. Rosen cut in.
- “Would you recommend explosive nuclear testing?” she asked again.
- “I would not advise testing, and I think we should rely on the scientific information,” Mr. Williams said, referring to data gathered from nonnuclear explosive testing and supercomputer modeling carried out by physicists at N.N.S.A. labs.
- Ms. Rosen then picked up the argument against testing from a Nevada point of view.
KSNV Las Vegas: Rosen secures commitment from key nominee to not advocate for nuclear testing in NV
Anchor: “It looks like we may have dodged a bullet here as far as nuclear testing in our backyard. We at least have, because of our sitting senator, Jacky Rosen, locking down a high level person who could end up saying, no, we actually want to go that way. Let’s take you back to a recent hearing, Senate Armed Services Committee, our Senator Jacky Rosen, questioning former congressman Brandon Williams on whether he would advise and possibly even resume explosive nuclear testing out about 80 miles outside of Las Vegas, northwest. He agreed that he is against it. And this is a really big thing for all of us who call southern Nevada home. So no more testing will take place outside of Las Vegas some 80 miles away.”
Senator Rosen: “Would you recommend explosive nuclear testing in place of our subcritical testing that we do at the U1a tunnel effectively in all of these years?
Brandon Williams: And, sorry, to get to my answer, is I would not advise testing and I think we should rely on the scientific information.
[…]
Anchor: So anyone who calls Las Vegas home, this is a big deal to get him on the record saying, no, we’re not going to do that.
KOLO Reno: Rosen secures commitment from key nominee to not advocate for nuclear testing in NV
Anchor: “Nuclear bomb testing in Nevada was discussed during a hearing of the Armed Services Committee. Former Congressman Brandon Williams is President Trump’s pick to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration. He was asked by Senator Jacky Rosen about the possibility of bomb testing resuming in southern Nevada, which until 1991 is where most of the country’s tests occurred for 40 years.”
Senator Rosen: “Some in President Trump’s orbit have suggested that the U.S. resume explosive nuclear testing – can you imagine that? – despite no evidence supporting this position. And if it is above-ground nuclear testing, the amount of exposure and destruction would be felt worldwide.”
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