Today, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) had her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for her new position as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. It is expected that she will be confirmed relatively easily. Senator Kerry reflected on the importance of leadership on nuclear weapons issues in his opening statement:

America must pursue the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and I applaud the President for  affirming our commitment in his April speech in Prague.  This is not a dreamy vision built on naïve optimism—it is a cool calculation based on the national security interests of the United States, endorsed by steely-eyed Cold Warriors like Henry Kissinger and George Shultz.  They recognize a fundamental truth: we face a fork in the road, and if we don’t dramatically transform our policies to aim in the direction of a world free of nuclear weapons, we will face a world in which more diverse actors wield ever more dangerous weapons – and the chances of nuclear weapons being used will steadily grow….