Washington, DC – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) released the following statement ahead of the upcoming nuclear security summit in Washington:

“With terrorist threats growing worldwide, ensuring the security of nuclear materials must be a top priority for every nation.  ISIS has used chemical weapons in Iraq, and we know that the same cell involved in the Paris and Brussels attacks had been secretly monitoring a Belgian nuclear official.  We should assume terrorists will continue to seek out the weakest links at nuclear facilities around the globe. 

“At the same time, I hope President Obama and world leaders can make progress in addressing the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, and the threats posed by North Korea’s illicit nuclear program.  Participants should send a strong message that recently enacted U.N. sanctions against the Kim regime in North Korea will be fully enforced. 

“Seven years ago, President Obama laid out sweeping goals for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.  Yet the president’s deeply flawed deal with Iran has legitimized the supreme leader’s nuclear program – even as Iran advances its ballistic missile program and continues to support terrorism.  This in turn encourages other countries to construct their own programs.  Instead of making the world less dangerous, the administration has set the stage for a nuclear free-for-all, with dire consequences for U.S. national security.” 

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