Republicans are demanding answers after a top Biden official brought Chinese Communist Party representatives to a critical national security location.
Allowing foreign enemies to visit nuclear test sites will ‘lead to our own annihilation,’ according to Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik.
“I am leading my colleagues in demanding that President Biden revoke this misguided invitation to our adversaries in Beijing and Moscow that grants them unprecedented access and insight into our nuclear weapons,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital.
“Inviting Communist China and Russia to have a front row seat for our sensitive nuclear weapons tests will give them invaluable information on how to defeat our nuclear capabilities and improve their own.”
“At a time when our adversaries are growing their nuclear stockpiles to undermine America’s leadership, allowing them access to one of our nuclear test sites will only advance this pursuit and lead to our own destruction,” she continued.
During the most recent International Atomic Energy Agency meeting, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) volunteered to take Chinese and Russian colleagues on a tour of the Nevada facility, where sensitive nuclear experiments are carried out, according to Bloomberg.
According to Corey Hinderstein, a senior NNSA officer, China and Russia did not reply promptly to the offer.
“There are no ongoing discussions with Russia or China on visits and no invitations have been made,” a DOE spokesperson said.
“DOE has not conducted an explosive nuclear test in more than 30 years – and has no plans to do so.
“The U.S. is committed to our nuclear testing moratorium and we have no issues proving it, but any potential transparency measures with Russia and China have to be met with reciprocity.”
The offer came months after Russian President Vladimir Putin canceled his country’s membership in the last surviving nuclear weapons limitation treaty with the United States.
And, last week, Putin signed legislation removing Russia from its ratification of a worldwide treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons testing, a move that was swiftly criticized by the State Department as proof of deteriorating ties between the two countries.
Allowing foreign opponents to monitor U.S. nuclear testing activities, according to Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., “allows them to derive our methods and procedures, and this destroys deterrence.”
“As Chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, one of my priorities has been to strengthen and protect our nuclear arsenal,” he told Fox News Digital.
“In the world today, nothing could jeopardize our national security more than losing this advantage.
“I was stunned to hear recent reports of Biden administration officials inviting citizens from our two greatest adversaries to observe U.S. nuclear weapons tests.”
“Russia and China should not have insider access to our testing. Both countries have had ample opportunity to be more open about their nuclear weapons development and deployments and refuse to do so.
“The amendment I introduced on this matter will halt the Biden administration’s latest lapse in judgment,” the Colorado lawmaker continued.
Lamborn filed legislation late last month to prevent foreign nationals from observing U.S. nuclear weapons testing at national labs.
The measure was included to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which the House approved on Oct. 26.
The letter, which was sent on Thursday, comes as China continues to strengthen its nuclear capabilities and arsenal. According to Stefanik, Lamborn, and the other Republican legislators, “the Department of Defense has warned that China’s nuclear expansion is exceeding previous US projections.”
“The PRC is now projected to have over 1,000 warheads by the end of this decade,” General Anthony Cotton, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, told lawmakers in March.
The Republicans informed Granholm in their letter that China now has no incentive to cease its ambitious nuclear program “if they are given this access while offering nothing in return.” They went on to say that China has refused to engage in conversations over nuclear escalation, and that the DOE’s actions risk to “embolden their efforts to continue growing their arsenal.”
“The notion of granting America’s adversaries’ access to our military sites — and enabling them to gain information about U.S. nuclear capabilities — is deeply alarming and fundamentally absurd,” Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., another letter co-signer, remarked.
“I am proud to join my colleagues in demanding the Biden administration explain why they are inviting Russian and Chinese Communist Party officials to access our most sensitive laboratories and testing facilities.”
The Democratic Party is now catering to America’s sworn enemies and offering to give them tours of sensitive national security sites. This comes after President Joe Biden allowed a Chinese spy balloon to traverse the continental United States and has done little to oppose the building of Chinese naval bases in Cuba.
President Joe Biden is currently facing an impeachment inquiry over his family’s influence-peddling scheme, which entailed selling political access to foreign actors, such as Ukraine and China.
Who’s the “ijits” who came up with this “brilliant” notion??? We deserve to know the name of the traitor selling us out to our enemies!
This story is INSANE. Arrest the S.O.B. who wants to bring our enemies in to see our defences. HOW NUTS IS THAT? Just saying.