Opposition to Explosive Nuclear Testing

Floor Speech

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Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my opposition to President Trump's announcement that the United States will resume explosive nuclear weapons testing. As a former political science professor, scholar of history of nuclear weaponry, and now a Member of Congress representing Southern Nevada, I have learned a thing or two about our nuclear legacy.

Nevada was the focal point of nuclear development during the Cold War. Over four decades, the Nevada Test Site, which is located just 100 miles north of Las Vegas, hosted over 900 nuclear tests--more than any other location in the United States. Throughout the 1950s, visible mushroom clouds often loomed in the distance as people enjoyed all that Las Vegas had to offer. These tests were conducted to better understand the power and effects of nuclear weapons, and the site played a major role in shaping national and international policies regarding nuclear testing and non-proliferation.

The radiation given off by the more than 100 atmospheric tests, however, had devastating impacts on those downwind. The fallout caused cancer and premature deaths for thousands across the West. That's why I introduced the PRESUME Act which would ensure radiation-exposed veterans receive their rightful benefits from the VA. The 800 underground tests sometimes vented out radioactive contaminants entering the air and the groundwater supply, a problem that we are still dealing with today.

Earlier this year, the Nevada state legislature passed a resolution urging the federal government to maintain the moratorium on nuclear weapons testing that went into effect in 1992, citing risks of environmental damage and health hazards from previous tests at the Nevada National Security Site.

You may remember, in 2020 the first Trump Administration called for a resumption of nuclear testing in breach of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Back then, I led the charge in the FY21 NDAA process to ensure that explosive nuclear testing could not be resurrected in the United States.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

On October 29, Trump announced that he is directing the Department of Defense to resume nuclear testing in a disastrous policy reversal, but not surprising as this is featured in Project 2025--the policy blueprint for the Trump Administration. On page 399, Project 2025 calls for the rejection of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. This would not just allow nuclear testing here at home but will also give the green light to other nuclear powers around the world to do the same. The result would put us on a collision course of catastrophic proportions with Russia and China, allow the proliferation of these weapons to non- nuclear states that seek its development, and put the health of Nevadans once again in jeopardy.

By foolishly announcing his intention to resume nuclear explosive testing, Trump will trigger a dangerous nuclear arms race that would blow apart the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. In fact, Vladimir Putin has already directed his forces to prepare a resumption of nuclear testing and, just this week, the Washington Post reported that China is rapidly expanding and modernizing infrastructure at its nuclear testing site in the Xinjiang Province.

There is no technical, national security, or political reason for the U.S. to resume nuclear explosive testing. If a nuclear power resumes testing because the U.S. is abandoning the testing moratorium, those countries will develop new types of warheads and close the scientific and technical advantage we have always enjoyed in warhead design. It would be a net detriment to U.S. national security. Furthermore, at the Nevada National Security Site, scientists do groundbreaking experiments and simulations on our existing stockpile to make sure our nuclear arsenal is safe, secure, and reliable. These sub-critical tests are done without an explosion of any kind.

With the President's announcement, we have abandoned our leadership position in arms control and non-proliferation. Note: For the first time ever, the U.S. was the only country to vote no on a recent UN resolution supporting the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the global nuclear testing moratorium. Not even North Korea opposed it. What kind of signal does this send? Amidst all this nuclear saber-rattling, the New START treaty, which is the last remaining arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, expires in exactly 77 days.

For these reasons, I introduced the RESTRAIN Act to prohibit the resumption of explosive nuclear testing and prevent any funds from going toward Trump's misguided policy.

Nevadans are overwhelmingly opposed to the resumption of explosive testing. In a 2024 study done by Searchlight Research, 73 percent of Nevadans said they are opposed to explosive nuclear testing on any kind.

President Trump may think that testing will make the country safer, but in reality, it puts the whole world in jeopardy and makes Nevadans sicker in the process. I urge all of my colleagues to join me and cosponsor my RESTRAIN Act.

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