{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=312689DB-277E-4BAB-9330-2CB267752079", "ICYMI: Fischer Makes Case for Strong, Modern U.S. Nuclear Deterrent on Atlantic Council Podcast", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", "fischer", "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), joined the Atlantic Council\u2019s \u201cSo What\u2019s the Strategy?\u201d podcast to share her vision for strengthening America\u2019s nuclear deterrent amid growing threats from China and Russia.\n\nDuring the conversation, Fischer \u2013 who chairs the SASC Strategic Forces Subcommittee \u2013 outlined the need to modernize U.S. nuclear forces, maintain a credible nuclear triad, and ensure America has the capabilities necessary to deter its adversaries and protect its allies.\n\nWatch the full discussion here or by clicking the image above.\n\nOn the cost of nuclear modernization:\n\n\u201cWhy spend so much? What\u2019s our security worth? That\u2019s what it boils down to.\n\n\u201cWhat risks are we willing to take as a country, as a world, if the United States doesn\u2019t follow through and continue our modernization? Can we meet those threats?\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a very small percentage of our defense spending in this country. But as I said earlier, it is the bedrock of our security. And it\u2019s not just for us. We also offer a secure nuclear umbrella for our allies and partners. That keeps the world safer. We don\u2019t see nuclear proliferation around the world because of that. It\u2019s called deterrence for a reason.\n\n\u201cWe don\u2019t ever want to have to use a nuclear weapon, but our adversaries need to know that we have a safe, credible, and secure triad, and we will use it if it becomes necessary.\u201d\n\nOn nuclear deterrence and assurance:\n\n\u201cWe always want our adversaries\u2014we want everyone\u2014to wake up every morning and say, \u2018Not today. We are not going to do anything against the United States. Not today. Too risky.\u2019\u201d\n\nOn the type of nuclear capabilities the U.S. needs:\n\n\u201cI believe we have certain capabilities that are the base of our deterrence. Whether that\u2019s our ICBMs\u2014the Sentinel program\u2014that\u2019s a program that has to happen. It has had some bumps in the road, but we have General White now \u2026 to handle that. We established that position to make sure whoever was in charge of that program, along with the bombers, would have a direct line to the secretary and could make things happen faster.\n\n\u201cThe Sentinel program is obviously our land-based leg. That has to remain strong. It\u2019s going to give the president more options once it is installed and able to perform. \u2026\n\n\u201cRight now \u2026 we have a contract for 100 B-21 bombers. We\u2019ve had every STRATCOM commander say that\u2019s not enough. And it\u2019s not enough. Whether it\u2019s 150 or, now they\u2019re talking about 200, that\u2019s another important leg of the triad.\n\n\u201cThese bombers have to cover not just STRATCOM\u2019s needs but also [PACOM\u2019s] needs in a more conventional sense because of the capabilities they have.\n\n\u201cThen, when we look at our subs, we\u2019re really focused on the Columbia class to make sure that moves ahead. There\u2019s a good argument to be made\u2014and I think we ought to investigate it\u2014that we should probably have more when you look at the maintenance required. That applies to the bombers as well.\n\n\u201cWhen you look at maintenance time, especially on submarines, and we\u2019re facing two peer adversaries who also have triads\u2014land-based missiles, bombers, and subs\u2014we need to make sure that\u2019s covered.\n\n\u201cWe need more shipbuilding. We need to be able to look at new, more regional options that a president could tap into.\n\n\u201cWe heard many years ago in the Senate about Russia\u2019s policy to \u2018escalate to de-escalate.\u2019 They never thought, with the size of the weapons the United States has, that we would ever respond. It lowered the credibility of our deterrence. \u2026\n\n\u201cWe want to make sure we have what we need to offer the president of the United States options that keep this country and our allies safe.\u201d\n\nOn the president\u2019s $1.5 trillion defense budget request:\n\n\u201cI applaud the president for putting that number forward. I think it\u2019s a firm number that addresses many of the threats we have.\n\n\u201cYou can look at things like hypersonics. You can look at things like Golden Dome, which I would point out we were able to get into the 2024 NDAA for FY 2025\u2014the framework for the idea that we needed this layered defense system with radars, satellites, and interceptors.\n\n\u201cThat came from within Congress. It came from a bipartisan group of senators. I\u2019m very pleased the president picked up on that and named it Golden Dome.\n\n\u201cThat is what we need to recognize the threats to our homeland. The missile defense system we need for this country has to be bolstered, and having Golden Dome move forward will help with that.\n\n\u201cWe had $24 billion \u2026 last year. That\u2019s a start, but it\u2019s going to take sustained commitment and appropriations to get that done.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2026To me, the lack of [consistent] funding and the lack of certainty are concerns.\n\n\u201c\u2026We\u2019re looking at CRs, which are devastating to our defense and national security.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s important that we focus on regular order and on working together again in a bipartisan way to make sure we can fund what we need \u2026 to keep this country safe.\u201d\n\nOn arms control:\n\n\u201cI think arms control is important\u2026 But let\u2019s look at history.\n\n\u201cRussia has never been steady in its support of any treaty\u2026 They ignore it or they pull out. They pulled out of New START in 2023\u2026\n\n\u201cChina has never participated in any talks and, as far as I know, publicly has never given any indication that they would participate in talks.\n\n\u201cIn fact, I was with a small group of senators the week before President Trump went to China, and we met with a number of officials. I asked about arms control. I think that might have thrown them a little bit, but I asked about it.\n\n\u201cTheir idea of arms control is that the United States should totally get rid of what we have, and then they\u2019ll be happy to talk. Why would we do that? We would make ourselves vulnerable.\n\n\u201cSo I believe the strongest position we can take is to continue to strengthen what we need to meet the threats.\n\n\u201cHopefully, we can engage in arms control, but it has to be with Russia and China. It can\u2019t just be with one or the other because all that does is weaken us.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2026 If the Chinese didn\u2019t want to enter into discussions with Russia and the United States, they still need to enter into discussions with us and have those two tracks move side by side.\n\n\u201cBut I think having all three together would be the best way to have a solid arms control treaty come out of it. I don\u2019t see that happening.\u201d\n\nOn the credibility of the U.S. nuclear umbrella for our allies:\n\n\u201cI think it\u2019s extremely important for the security not just of our country, but around the world, that we continue to provide that umbrella to our allies.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s not forget that NATO is a nuclear alliance. That\u2019s important for our allies to know\u2014that we will continue to provide that.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s important that our EUCOM commander is also the Supreme Allied Commander Europe because of that nuclear component in NATO.\n\n\u201cBut I also hope it emboldens our allies to step forward, which they are doing in NATO and Europe, and provide more for their own security in their regions.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s difficult for the United States. It\u2019s expensive for the United States to be everywhere.\n\n\u201cSo, when we have our allies in Europe and our partners and friends in the Pacific willing to work with us to provide security in those regions, that only makes America stronger and more secure.\n\n\u201cI believe we have to continue developing and strengthening those relationships.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=312689DB-277E-4BAB-9330-2CB267752079"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5772939659655094, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}