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Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group Co-Chairs Applaud President Biden’s Upcoming Summit with President Putin

June 10, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC—On June 1, the co-chairs of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group sent a letter to President Biden applauding the announcement of his upcoming summit with President Putin in Geneva. The Nuclear Weapons Arms Control Working Group is comprised of 20 Senators and Representatives and is co-chaired by Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), Rep. Donald Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Senator Edward Markey (D-MA), and Senator Jeffrey Merkley (D-OR).

"As co-chairs of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, we strongly believe that clear-eyed presidential dialogue with Russia is urgently needed to push back against Russian aggression, malign activities, cyber attacks, and human rights abuses," the co-chairs said. "Right now, the global tripwire is incredibly taut as the world witnesses a new nuclear arms race between the Great Powers. We are pleased that President Biden is holding this summit with President Putin, and we strongly urge him to make arms control a significant topic of discussion.

"The fervor with which the United States and Russia are approaching their nuclear modernization efforts create a risk for political miscalculation that could force our world to cross a line from which it cannot return. Furthermore, continuing down the current course will cost the United States $634 billion through 2030, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. This is a recipe ripe for schedule delays, costly overruns, and an unsustainable nuclear arms race," the co-chairs continued.

"We hope that this month's summit builds upon the New START Treaty's recent extension by initiating conversations to further reduce strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons. We wish President Biden well and hope that his summit with President Putin will lead to prolonged, fruitful action on arms control," the co-chairs concluded.