Is Biden being blackmailed? Because this is insane.
A group of 18 House Republicans, led by GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, has raised concerns with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm regarding her agency’s decision to allow foreign adversaries, specifically China and Russia, to inspect a sensitive U.S. nuclear testing site.
According to Fox, in a letter sent on Thursday, Stefanik and her fellow Republicans criticized Granholm for providing “unprecedented access” to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nevada National Security Site to Chinese and Russian officials. The DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration reportedly extended the invitation to demonstrate the U.S.’s commitment to a three-decade moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.
Stefanik expressed her opposition to the invitation, stating that it could offer valuable information to China and Russia on defeating U.S. nuclear capabilities. She called on President Biden to revoke the invitation, emphasizing the potential risks to national security.
The National Nuclear Security Administration invited Chinese and Russian counterparts to tour the Nevada site during the International Atomic Energy Agency summit. The invitation coincided with Russia’s suspension of its participation in a nuclear arms control pact with the U.S.
Rep. Doug Lamborn, who co-signed Stefanik’s letter, argued that allowing foreign adversaries to observe U.S. nuclear testing could compromise deterrence by revealing methods and procedures. He introduced a bill to block foreign nationals from witnessing U.S. nuclear weapons testing, attaching it to the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
The letter also highlighted China’s expanding nuclear capabilities, with the Department of Defense projecting over 1,000 warheads by the end of the decade. The Republicans expressed concerns that granting China access to sensitive facilities without reciprocal engagement could embolden their nuclear expansion.
Rep. Rob Wittman, another co-signer of the letter, criticized the Biden administration for inviting Russian and Chinese officials to access sensitive laboratories and testing facilities. A total of 18 Republicans, including Stefanik, Lamborn, and Wittman, co-signed the letter.