Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1646, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act and, in particular, language in the bill on Russian Federation Debt for Nonproliferation. I want to applaud the conferees for including this very important language on ways to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction in the final conference report.
The demise of the Soviet empire ushered in a new post-Cold War period and a very real sense of urgency with regard to the former Soviet Union's weapons stockpile. It has become tragically clear that new threats have emerged and terrorists and the States that sponsor them are actively in search of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons technology and materials.
During the last 11 years, the Nunn-Lugar program, which was launched to reduce threats from the former Soviet Union, has done much to dismantle these stockpiles. However, continuing economic and social weaknesses in Russia, coupled with an eroding early warning system, poorly secured Russian weapons materials, and poorly paid Russian weapons scientists and security personnel increase the threat of mass destruction on an unprecedented scale if such materials fall into the hands of terrorists or rogue nations.
Now, more than ever, we must make a fundamental shift in the way we think about the spread of weapons of mass destruction and our own national security. Using Russia's debt to the United States as a funding mechanism for programs addressing the inadequate security of the Russian weapons stockpile is an innovative approach we must explore.
The Russian Federation Debt Reduction for Nonproliferation Act, which I coauthored with the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher), the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green), and the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), will provide a means to forgive the loans and credits owed to the United States by Russia in exchange for cooperation with U.S. efforts to monitor and reduce weapons-usable nuclear material, nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, and the facilities where they may be built.
Securing Russia's arsenal is a massive challenge, but not an impossible one. While the cost of a terrorist attack on the United States involving Russian expertise or smuggled Russian nuclear chemical or biological materials is staggering, funding for these simple measures that can prevent these attacks is sensible and urgent, and I urge Members' support.