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Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell, Stupak Request GAO Probe State Department’s Assessment of Russian Nuclear Pact

Washington, DC – Two key lawmakers today called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to probe the State Department’s assessment that a recently negotiated nuclear agreement with Russia would “be consistent with non proliferation program, policy and objectives of the United States.”

In a letter to GAO, Reps. John D. Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak (D-MI), the Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, asked GAO to examine whether the State Department’s assessment is fully supported, given concerns about Russia’s support for Iran’s nuclear programs, as well as Russian support for Iranian missile and advanced conventional weapons programs.

In their letter, Dingell and Stupak called upon the GAO to undertake an expedited review of the Department of State’s Nonproliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS) for the recently negotiated nuclear agreement with Russia. Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act requires that the Secretary of State provide the President with a Nonproliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS) with each Agreement for Cooperation.

The letter says GAO’s review should examine the process by which the State Department’s NPAS was produced, whether all relevant material was reviewed in preparing the NPAS, and whether the conclusions in the NPAS are fully supported.

Earlier this month, Dingell and Stupak wrote to President Bush raising key questions about the 123 agreement. The text of the letter to GAO is below.

Read the letter »
Read Nonproliferation Assessment Statement »