Nuclear smuggling

Murphy, Upton lead bipartisan call for update on nuclear smuggling deterrence programs

U.S. Reps. Tim Murphy (R-PA) and Fred Upton (R-MI) led a bipartisan call on Tuesday for an update on nuclear smuggling deterrence programs from the Department of Energy (DOE).

Murphy, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Upton, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led a bipartisan group of committee leaders in a letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz calling for an update on the Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD) programs.

“We write today because recent international developments – particularly the rise of well-funded terror groups and the curtailment of U.S.-Russian cooperation on nuclear material security – have underscored the importance of NNSA’s Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence programs,” the lawmakers wrote. “These developments have prompted us to take a closer look at the status of these programs,” wrote the bipartisan leaders. They noted that information reviewed to date has highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong deterrence and detection posture at foreign ports and border crossings, in partnerships with other nations.”