2/6/12 Home / Projects & Publications / News www PGS Printer Friendly Page   NEWS RELEASE Correcting the Record: Condoleezza Rice's Statement on Nunn-Lugar on Meet The Press FOR RELEASE: November 20, 2001; CONTACT: Ken Luongo or Bill Hoehn, (202) 332-1412 (Washington, DC) - Members of the Russian-American Nuclear Security Advisory Council (RANSAC), a leading think-tank dedicated to strengthening U.S.-Russian nuclear nonproliferation engagement, today refuted the statement by National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice that the Bush Administration did not cut funding this year for nuclear nonproliferation cooperation with Russia. Appearing Sunday on NBC News' Meet The Press, Rice rejected the assertion by Tim Russert that the Administration had cut the funding for U.S.-Russian nonproliferation activities: MR. RUSSERT: A lot of concern about nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands. Congress approved a Nunn-Lugar bill � which would monitor just where the nuclear materials in Russia are going. Your administration cut that program by $1 million [N.B.: In fact, the cut was $100 million]. In light of what has happened since September 11, will you reinstate that funding? DR. RICE: That funding was not cut. The transcript of the full exchange follows this release. According to an analysis released earlier this year by RANSAC, the Bush Administration's Federal Budget request for FY 2002 proposed a $100 million reduction from prior levels for the funding of these nuclear security programs. "The numbers don't lie," remarked Bill Hoehn, RANSAC's Washington Office Director. The RANSAC analysis can be found on-line at www.216.119.87.134, or can be provided on request via fax or e-mail. Rice's appearance on Meet The Press came several days after the summit meeting between President Bush and Russian President Putin. Although both leaders agreed that "urgent attention must continue to be given to improving the physical protection and accounting of nuclear materials of all possessor states, and preventing illicit nuclear trafficking," no substantive agreements on new initiatives or resources were reached during the summit to advance U.S.-Russian cooperation above the current pace. And the White House has not allocated any of the $40 billion emergency supplemental funding package that was approved following the September 11 attacks for expanded nonproliferation activities with Russia and the former Soviet republics. The Russian-American Nuclear Security Advisory Council consists of Russian and American experts who have been involved closely in U.S.-Russian cooperative nuclear security programs both inside and outside of government for the past decade.

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