Senate Seeks Reports on Energy Security, Nuclear Weapons Policy

A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate would require the Director of National Intelligence to prepare an unclassified report on energy security.

“American dependence on foreign oil has made our Nation less safe,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) in an introductory statement. “Oil revenues have provided income for dangerous rogue states, they have sparked bloody civil wars, and they have even provided funding for terrorism.”

“In a sickening phenomenon that I call the terror tax, every time that Americans drive their cars down to the gas station and fill up at the pump, the reality is that a portion of that money is then turned over to foreign governments that ‘backdoor’ it over to Islamist extremists, who use that money to perpetuate terrorism and hate.”

* * *The next administration would be required to conduct a comprehensive review of U.S. nuclear weapons policy and to prepare an unclassified report of its nuclear posture review, according to the 2008 defense authorization act, as marked up by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The report, which is intended to update the 2001 nuclear posture review (NPR), would have to be submitted in unclassified form in December 2009.

“Although the Secretary of Defense was directed to submit the December 2001 NPR in an unclassified form, unfortunately this never happened,” the Senate Committee said.

See, relatedly, “Congress Seeks New Direction for Nuclear Strategy” by Walter Pincus, Washington Post, June 18.