I Pushed Trump’s Energy Secretary to Admit Explosive Nuclear Testing Isn't Needed

During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, I pushed Energy Secretary Chris Wright into admitting that a resumption of explosive nuclear testing – which would occur at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) – is not necessary. The Trump Administration has expressed interest in resuming explosive nuclear testing, which would break the testing moratorium signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1992, and restart nuclear testing at the NNSS.

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Since the moratorium was put in place, the U.S. has continued to certify the military effectiveness of our nation’s nuclear stockpile, through state-of-the-art, science-based subcritical experiments conducted at the Site that ensure we never have to detonate another nuclear weapon on U.S. soil again. These experiments provide greater certainty and data about the performance of the stockpile, experts say, than the information that could be obtained if the U.S. were to conduct an explosive nuclear test.

Here’s what I asked him:

“Secretary Wright, citing your impressive educational resume in engineering from MIT and Berkley, and with so many experts in agreement that there is no technical or strategic need to resume explosive nuclear testing, can you commit today that this Administration will not conduct an explosive nuclear test, YES or NO?”

This was Secretary Wright’s response:

“Well Senator Rosen, ultimately that decision comes down to the Commander-in-Chief.”

So I pressed him again:

“So you will disagree then with your extensive educational achievements, studies, and as a scientist, disagree with scientists and administrations going back to the 1990s and the data that shows renewed explosive testing is unnecessary? You think there is still a need for that? You will disagree with all the experts? Yes or no? Do you agree there is a need for explosive testing or not?”

Finally, I got him to admit that explosive nuclear testing in Nevada is not necessary:

“To assure the reliability of our weapons, there is not a need for explosive testing.”

Explosive nuclear testing has been proven to be unnecessary by experts, and I’ll fight against any and all efforts by this Administration to resume this unnecessary and reckless testing.

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