ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), members of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces which has oversight of the country’s nuclear weapons enterprise, toured the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico. The national laboratories are responsible for maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent for the United States and for other science-related functions in support of U.S. national security interests.

“There’s no denying that we live in a dangerous world where we continue to face both traditional and emerging threats. To confront these threats, we must have the best and brightest minds working to maintain our scientific and technological advantage and to discover the breakthroughs that will ensure that advantage well into the future,” Senator King said. “As I saw today, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories are on the vanguard of these efforts, both in ensuring the U.S. nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective, and in conducting some of the most advanced scientific research in support of our national security interests.”

“This week I had the opportunity to visit our nation’s nuclear weapons laboratories. These unique facilities and the exceptional employees that work there maintain the nuclear weapons that STRATCOM relies on to defend our nation.  Nuclear deterrence remains the ultimate safeguard for American security and it would not be possible without the hard working men and women who make up our nuclear enterprise,” Senator Fischer said.

During their visit, the senators toured the nuclear weapons complex, met with leaders and scientists, expressed their gratitude to the workforce for their important contributions, and gained a better understanding of the issues and challenges associated with the senators’ responsibilities on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee.

The Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces is responsible for oversight of United States nuclear and strategic forces; intelligence programs; space programs; cyber space programs; Department of Energy defense nuclear and environmental programs; and ballistic missile defense.

Following the visits to Los Alamos and Sandia, Senator King departed for a previously announced trip to India while Senator Fischer will continue to California to visit Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

From left to right: Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Lieutenant General (Retired) Frank Klotz; U.S. Senator Angus King; U.S. Senator Deb Fischer; Laboratory Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Charlie McMillan at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

From left to right: Mr. Geoffrey Beausoleil, Manager, Sandia Field Office, NNSA; Dr. Jerry McDowell, Deputy Labs Director & Executive Vice President for National Security Programs, Sandia National Laboratories; General Frank Klotz, Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security & Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration; U.S. Senator Deb Fischer; Dr. Paul Hommert, President and Laboratories Director, Sandia National Laboratories, and U.S. Senator Angus King at Sandia National Laboratories.

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