1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to prioritize the extension of the New START treaty before its expiration on February 5, 2026. This treaty, signed by Presidents Obama and Medvedev in Prague on April 8, 2010, remains the last remaining bilateral nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia. Its loss would eliminate critical limits on strategic nuclear weapons and end verification mechanisms that have provided transparency for over a decade. New START caps deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 per country and limits deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers to 700. These restrictions represent a nearly two-thirds reduction from the original START treaty. Without extension, both nations could expand their arsenals without constraint, increasing the risk of miscalculation and arms race escalation. The treaty's verification provisions, including 18 annual on-site inspections and satellite monitoring, have been essential for strategic stability. While Russia suspended participation on February 21, 2023, citing inspection access concerns, it has not formally withdrawn. Russia initially continued adhering to numerical limits, though it stopped providing notifications on March 29, 2023. Despite this setback, the treaty framework remains salvageable. The 2021 extension demonstrated that even amid strained relations, both nations recognized the value of arms control. That five-year extension was negotiated and ratified within days after President Biden took office, proving swift action is possible when political will exists. Former President George H.W. Bush and all six living former Republican Secretaries of State supported the original ratification, understanding that verification serves American security interests regardless of broader geopolitical tensions. I urge you to advocate publicly for treaty extension negotiations and to support any legislative measures that advance this goal. The alternative is an unconstrained nuclear competition that serves neither nation's interests and threatens global security. The time to act is now, before the February 2026 deadline passes and this critical safeguard disappears.