Chairman's Press
Lab Directors Assure Lugar on Nuclear Modernization
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Dick Lugar released the following statement and letters regarding the New START Treaty: Last July, the Directors of the three main National Laboratories responsible for our nuclear stockpile testified before the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees on the 1251 report. Earlier this week, I wrote to the Laboratory Directors to obtain their views on the updated 1251 plan submitted in November. Senator Kerry joined me in my request… Continue Reading
November 24, 2010
Lugar Encourages Haitians to Vote Expresses Concern on Lack of Progress in Reconstruction
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced today that he dispatched Foreign Relations Committee senior professional staff members to Haiti as part of a Congressional delegation to monitor elections scheduled for November 28, 2010. Lugar also released the following statement: "I encourage the people of Haiti to vote and participate in selecting their leaders - in what I hope will be free and transparent elections on November 28. "The … Continue Reading
November 22, 2010
Lugar Statement on North Korea
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Dick Lugar made the following statement regarding North Korea today. North Korea's revelations regarding continued development of its nuclear program come as no surprise. Ongoing work is underway to expand its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capabilities on the chemical and biological fronts as well. With a trading network operating in scores of countries, and a supporting cast in Burma, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, and individuals in other… Continue Reading
November 19, 2010
Senators Kerry and Lugar Call For Free And Transparent Parliamentary Elections In Moldova
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ahead of the November 28 parliamentary elections in Moldova, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN) issued the following statements announcing the Senate's passage of a resolution recognizing Moldova's democratic accomplishments and expressing its support for free and transparent elections: "The people and the government of Moldova have overcome a daunting set of economic and political challenges. The success of thes… Continue Reading
November 16, 2010
Lugar Applauds the Secure Storage of Spent Plutonium Fuel in Kazakhstan
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar welcomed today's announcement that the United States and Kazakhstan have completed a major nonproliferation program to provide secure storage for the spent fuel from Kazakhstan's BN-350 plutonium production reactor. In a large-scale effort over the last year, the spent fuel (enough material to fabricate 775 nuclear weapons) was transported in a series of 12 secure shipments over 1,800 miles, from Aktau near the Caspian Sea to a secure location in eastern Kazakhstan. In ad… Continue Reading
November 12, 2010
Lugar visits Kenyan bio labs
NAIROBI, Kenya - As part of U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar's (R-IN) Africa mission, he visited biological research laboratories in Kenya's capital city today. Lugar led a Department of Defense delegation to inspect three labs used to diagnose and research dangerous viruses and bacteria, such as Ebola, Anthrax, Rift Valley Fever, and Brucellosis (information about diseases below). With disease prevalent in the natural environment, the facilities inspected by Lugar were scientifically inadequate to meet th… Continue Reading
November 11, 2010
Lugar oversees weapons destruction in Burundi
BUJUMBURA, Burundi - As part of U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar's (R-IN) Africa mission, he visited several conventional weapons destruction facilities near Burundi's capital city today. Having emerged from a 12-year civil war in 2005, Burundi is similar to many African nations in having larges caches of small arms and light weapons (SALW), such as rocket propelled grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, 82mm mortars, and other dangerous weaponry. Most such weapons and accompanying stockpiles of ammunition and ex… Continue Reading
November 09, 2010
New International Award Named for Nunn-Lugar Program
U.S. Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) has awarded the first annual Nunn-Lugar International Global Science and Security Engagement Award to veteran European diplomat Javier Solana. A consortium of international research institutes announced the creation of the annual award in honor of the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program November 8 in Madrid, Spain, at the first Conference on Science and International Security. At the awards ceremony, Senator Lugar received the International Science… Continue Reading
November 08, 2010
NUNN-LUGAR GOES GLOBAL
In a major policy speech today in Madrid, Spain, United States Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-IN), the former Chairman and now Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, detailed how the most successful arms control initiative in history is expanding globally to confront risks posed by biological weapons. "The global spread of advanced technologies, the rise of asymmetric warfare, and the growing interdependence of societies and economies have made discerning the intentions of poten… Continue Reading
November 04, 2010
SENATOR LUGAR AND EX-IM BANK SPONSOR EXPORT SEMINAR IN FT. WAYNE ON NOVEMBER 15
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Indiana businesses can learn how to tap into growing export markets at the Northeast Indiana International Trade Seminar in Fort Wayne on November 15, Senator Richard Lugar announced today. All interested Hoosier businesses and individuals are invited to attend this free seminar, to be held Monday, November 15 from 1pm to 4pm at the Allen County Public Library at 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Free underground parking is available for all library card holders. "I'm… Continue Reading
November 04, 2010
Lugar Takes Nunn-Lugar Arms Control to Africa
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) leads a mission to Africa next week with a team of Pentagon arms control experts to help secure deadly biological diseases, in addition to destroying other lethal armaments. "Deadly diseases like Ebola, Marburg, and Anthrax are prevalent in Africa," said Lugar, the Ranking Member and former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "These pathogens can be made into horrible weapons aimed at our troops, our friends and allies, and even the American public. T… Continue Reading
October 22, 2010
Nunn-Lugar Update
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar announced the following progress in the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program since August. 48 Strategic nuclear warheads deactivated, 4 Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) destroyed, 16 submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) destroyed, 3 nuclear weapons transport train shipments secured and 68.88 metric tons of chemical weapons agent neutralized. In November 1991, Lugar (R-IN) and Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) authored the Nunn-Lugar Act, which … Continue Reading
October 22, 2010
Lugar releases CRS Report on North Korea Sanctions Implementation
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member, released today a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on implementation of sanctions for North Korea. Following renewed interest in sanctions against North Korea in the wake of the sinking of South Korea's Cheonan ship, which killed 46 individuals, Lugar asked the CRS to evaluate the implementation of the U.N. sanctions already in place. In response to the report, Lugar stated: "The CRS report on implementa… Continue Reading
September 30, 2010
Lugar Statement on Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Dick Lugar released the following statement regarding the passage of Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties last evening. I am pleased that last night the Senate unanimously agreed to resolutions of advice and consent to ratification for defense trade cooperation treaties with the United Kingdom and Australia. Earlier this week, legislation I authored to provide necessary authorities to implement the treaties passed both the Senate and the Hou… Continue Reading
September 17, 2010
Lugar Announces New Science Envoys, Receives George Brown Award for International Scientific Cooperation Includes World Food Prize Winner Dr. Ejeta of Purdue University
On September 16, U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar announced three new Science Envoys for the U.S. Department of State while receiving the George Brown Award for International Scientific Cooperation at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Lugar initiated the Science Envoy initiative in April 2009 Dr. Rita Colwell, Distinguished University Professor both at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health; Dr. Alice P. Gast, Presid… Continue Reading
August 03, 2010
Lugar warns President against reducing commitment to global HIV/AIDS program
On July 30, the two year anniversary of enactment of legislation on U.S. global leadership against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Dick Lugar wrote President Obama expressing concern about funding being diverted from the program to other parts of the President's global health initiative. Here is the full text of the letter to the President: Two years ago today, Vice President Biden and I were joined by a number of our Republican … Continue Reading
July 30, 2010
Kerry, Lugar Call For Pakistani-American Enterprise Fund
Washington, D.C.- Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN) introduced legislation yesterday, S. 3665, that will lead to the establishment of the "Pakistani-American Enterprise Fund," to focus on strengthening the private sector in Pakistan using existing funds from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman aid package passed by Congress last year. The legislation will help empower Pakistan's private sector to create jobs, which will contribute toward increasing econo… Continue Reading
July 29, 2010
Lugar, Kerry call for Pakistani-American Enterprise Fund
Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Dick Lugar (R-IN) and John Kerry (D-MA) introduced legislation today, S. 3665, that would lead to the establishment of the "Pakistani-American Enterprise Fund," to focus on strengthening the private sector in Pakistan using existing funds from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman aid package passed by Congress last year. The legislation will help to empower Pakistan's private sector to create jobs, which will contribute toward increasing economic growth and stability. The Fund … Continue Reading
July 22, 2010
Nunn-Lugar June 2010 Update
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar announced the following progress in the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program last month. 6 Strategic nuclear warheads deactivated 2 Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) destroyed 6 ICBM mobile launchers destroyed 4 nuclear weapons transport train shipments secured 48 metric tons of Russian chemical weapons agent neutralized During the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the New START Treaty with the Directors of the U.S. nuclear laborato… Continue Reading
July 22, 2010
Lugar calls on President Préval to help attract investment to Haiti
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Dick Lugar today released a report urging President Préval and the Government of Haiti to enact essential business reforms in order to rebuild Haiti. The report, "Without Reform, No Return on Investment in Haiti," is available at http://lugar.senate.gov/issues/foreign/lac/haiti/. "This report highlights the key political and business impediments, which are threatening the reconstruction effort and making Haiti an even less attract… Continue Reading
