At Politico’s Security Summit, Fischer Highlights Strategic Forces Priorities

WASHINGTON - Today,U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, discussed her recent official visit to China, nuclear modernization, the expiration of the New START Treaty with Russia, sustained funding for Golden Dome, President Trump's record $1.5 trillion defense budget request, and U.S.-Iran tensions.

Watch the full interview here or by clicking the image above.

On her recent trip to China:

Fischer: "Senator Daines did lead a bipartisan Senate delegation to China - we just got back Friday evening, and I think it was quite successful. China is a nation that cannot be ignored. They are a peer nuclear adversary. We now have two peer adversaries - Russia and China. To be able to carry on conversations on any number of topics with high Chinese officials was beneficial for both sides, and we stressed the importance of maintaining those relationships.

"We talked about trade - all members of the delegation were extremely interested in reciprocal trade, whether in agriculture products or Boeing airplanes. … We had frank conversations about fentanyl precursors, Iran, supply chains, and more. It wasn't planned to coincide with President Trump's trip to China, but I think that raised the level of interest in having the fourth Congressional CODEL to China since COVID."

On the New START Treaty's expiration:

Fischer: "China has not been party to past arms control agreements, and I think it's extremely important to bring them into any future discussions. We've learned from Russia that they don't honor treaties - they ignore them. But having a treaty with open, verifiable discussions with both nations is essential.

"Second is continuing to modernize our nuclear triad - not only the platforms, but the weapons for those platforms. Sentinel has had some challenges. We now have the program manager, General White, with a direct line to the Secretary, which has been helpful. There's one throat to choke, and that's General White. He's the right person for the job.

"On bombers, we've heard from multiple combatant commanders - STRATCOM, INDOPACOM - that we need to raise the number of B-21s in the modernization schedule. When all of this was set up in 2010, the geopolitical atmosphere was very different. They've said publiclywe need 200 bombers, accounting for maintenance cycles and the combined demands of STRATCOM and INDOPACOM. We also need to accelerate the Columbia-class submarine program.

"Beyond that, there's the [National Nuclear Security Administration]. I'm very passionate about that - we'll actually have a hearing tomorrow on energy with the Secretary, and I'll be focused on ensuring NNSA has the resources it needs."

On defense funding:

Fischer: "Providing for the common defense is the core duty and priority of Congress. When we look at what's proposed, I'll note that under the Biden administration, the Armed Services Committee consistently increased what was submitted - we raised it in our deliberations and in the NDAA.

"I applaud President Trump for going in with his eyes wide open, understanding the threats we face. And to meet those threats, $1.5 trillion is needed. We need to approach this with our eyes open as well."

On continued support for Golden Dome:

Fischer: "First, we have to sustain the funding throughout - the $24 billion already in place covers radars, sensors, and interceptors. This is going to require sustained investment.

"Senator King, the ranking member on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, and I meet regularly with General Guetlein - often every other week - and I think he's done a good job explaining the purpose of Golden Dome and the layered defense approach. …

"I do want to be careful about discussing specifics publicly - and I recognize that may sound like a cop-out, but our adversaries are watching this program very carefully. That said, I am comfortable with what is being proposed and the thought that has gone into it."
On Iran:

Fischer: "People are worried about price increases. I hear from ag producers about fertilizer costs, and from consumers about gas prices. But I also believe people have a deep understanding of the threat this country faces. If Iran becomes a nuclear nation capable of reaching the United States - and they have significantly advanced their ballistic missile capabilities; we saw that with their strikes on Diego Garcia, and they can now reach London - it's not a large step to reaching the U.S. People understand that. The message I give to Nebraskans and all Americans is: we cannot have a nuclear Iran."

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