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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Statement on the Administration’s Withdrawal from the INF Treaty

February 4, 2019

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PRESS PICTURE

For Immediate Release Contact: Robin Chand

February 1, 2019 202-225-3816

Press Statement

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Statement on the Administration's Withdrawal from the INF Treaty

Jackson Lee—"Rather than merely suspending the United States from this critical compact, the Administration should exhaust all possible efforts to resolve this matter without suspending our obligations to a treaty, and work along with our allies in NATO—the most successful military alliance in the history of the world—so as to avoid a dangerous arms race with the former Soviet Union."

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued this statement on the announcement by the Secretary of State to suspend the United States from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty:

"Today's announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the United States plans to temporarily suspend its obligations under the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is concerning. The move risks an arms race at a delicate time between the United States and Russia, and the act has the potential to undermine international security and the global world order.

"Russia's noncompliance with this treaty has been persistent, brazen, and especially troubling in the face of an investigation here at home about Russia's subversion in our democracy and whether and to what extent that effort was aided and abetted by members of the Trump Campaign. Moreover, Russia's noncompliance is all the more troubling in the face of comments made by our Commander in Chief that undermine NATO and the place of western democracies in maintaining the post-World War II order. Yet, despite this, withdrawing the United States from this critical treaty is not the answer, as it disrupts global security and creates unacceptable and unknown risks. Rather than merely suspending the United States from this critical compact, the Administration should exhaust all possible efforts to resolve this matter without suspending our obligations to a treaty, and work along with our allies in NATO—the most successful military alliance in the history of the world—so as to avoid a dangerous arms race."

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Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas's 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.