About Time: Bill to Enhance Nuclear Security Moves through House | Arms Control Now: The Blog of the Arms Control Association

Wow! I don't know all the background on what led to approval of this legislation by the Republican-led House of Representatives in the U.S. Congress. But as far as I know, it was a rare negotiated and reasonable compromise between the house and the Obama administration. 

Kagel writes:

The Nuclear Terrorism Conventions Implementation and Safety of Maritime Navigation Act of 2012 brings the United States into compliance with the 2005 amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and the 2005 International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT). ...

Now the U.S. Senate must consider it. Kagel writes that senate approval and subsequent ratification of the two treaties will accomplish these things:

• Enhance the national security of the United States ...
• Strengthen international counterterrorism and nonproliferation legal framework ...
• Encourage other nations to ratify the treaties as well ....

The article concludes:

Will the United States continue holding up another international nuclear weapons and materials related treaty from entering into force? Congress needs to get its act together and finally pass legislation required to ratify the CPPNM as amended and the ICSANT.

When it comes to preventing a nuclear terrorist attack, Congress should be doing whatever it can, as quickly as it can, to protect the United States. Further delays in ratifying these treaties only helps rogue actors reach their goals. It’s about time Congress gets this right.

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This article is featured in today's (July 14) Beyond Child's Play: Peace Now -- available at the Peace Now tab above and by free email subscription.