NTI - Global Security Newswire, 7 Apr 2010.

Congressional reaction was mixed yesterday after the Obama administration released its long-awaited Nuclear Posture Review, with Democrats cheering the White House's middle-of-the-road approach to nuclear weapons policy while Republicans rejected key portions of the report.

House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) said they were pleased the report "balances the role of our nuclear deterrent forces with the goals of preventing nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism."

Specifically, they pointed to the administration's commitment to retaining a smaller nuclear triad of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers; modernizing aging nuclear infrastructure; and hiring highly skilled scientists and engineers at the country's national security laboratories and plants.

"The NPR sets a framework to protect our security today and to deter future threats," they said in a joint statement. The committee plans to hold a hearing next week on the review with senior Defense, State and Energy department officials.

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) said in a statement that the review updates U.S. nuclear policy to reflect "post-Cold War reality."

Kerry applauded the administration for pledging not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states that have signed and complied with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, while making clear that the military will respond to chemical or biological weapons with a "devastating conventional military response."

"No longer do we couch our posture review with deliberate ambiguity," Kerry said, referring to uncertainty over whether previous administrations would use the nuclear arsenal to respond to non-nuclear attacks.

But House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee ranking member Michael Turner (R-Ohio) said in a statement he was opposed to "unilaterally taking nuclear responses off the table." Turner said the United States is "decreasing our options without getting anything in return and diminishing our ability to defend our nation from attack."

During next week's hearing, Turner and House Armed Services ranking member Howard (Buck) McKeon (R-Calif.) said they plan to press the administration on whether conventional capabilities are sufficient to deter potential adversaries and assure U.S. allies.

McKeon and Turner also raised concerns about any future reductions to the U.S. nuclear arsenal beyond what was decided in the START treaty with Russia. They also said they would seek assurances from administration officials about their commitment to modernizing and recapitalizing the country's nuclear weapons and complex.

The review does not allow for the development of any new nuclear weapons, but it does provide for life-extension programs for existing warheads.

Despite his concerns, McKeon acknowledged there are some bright spots in the review.

"I'm pleased that the administration remains committed to the nuclear triad of land-, sea-, and air-based nuclear deterrents; signaled the need for additional investments to modernize our nuclear complex; and acknowledged that the conditions for a 'nuclear-free' world do not exist at this time," he said.

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