Lawmakers Warn of New Cold War Risk from Nuclear Testing

Congresswoman Titus and Congressman Lieu address concerns over expired arms control treaty and potential resumption of nuclear testing.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Congresswoman Dina Titus and Congressman Ted Lieu held a joint news conference at the Atomic Museum in Las Vegas to address concerns over the expiration of the New START arms control treaty and President Trump's announcement to resume explosive nuclear testing. They warned that the lack of a new treaty could lead to a new Cold War, with Russia and China potentially expanding their nuclear arsenals in response.

Why it matters

The expiration of the New START treaty and the potential resumption of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site raise serious concerns about the risk of a new nuclear arms race and the potential for increased radiation exposure for residents living near the test site.

The details

The New START treaty, which put limits on the number of nuclear weapons the U.S. and Russia could have, expired on February 5th. Without a new treaty in place, both countries are now unconstrained in building additional nuclear weapons. Titus and Lieu emphasized the need for a new arms control treaty and legislation to prevent the president from unilaterally resuming nuclear testing.

  • The New START treaty expired on February 5, 2026.
  • Titus and Lieu held the news conference on Saturday, February 8, 2026.

The players

Dina Titus

A Congresswoman representing Nevada's 1st congressional district.

Ted Lieu

A Congressman representing California's 33rd congressional district.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who announced the resumption of nuclear testing.

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What they’re saying

“The reason we're here is that's so important is just two days ago, the START Treaty expired. Now that's the treaty that put limits on how many nuclear weapons we can have.”

— Dina Titus, Congresswoman

“We need to make sure that we reduce the number of nuclear weapons, and unfortunately, the Trump Administration has let the New START Treaty expire. That means that both Russia and the United States are now unconstrained in building additional nuclear weapons.”

— Ted Lieu, Congressman

What’s next

Titus and Lieu emphasized the need for a new arms control treaty and legislation to prevent the president from unilaterally resuming nuclear testing.

The takeaway

The expiration of the New START treaty and the potential resumption of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site raise serious concerns about the risk of a new nuclear arms race and the potential for increased radiation exposure for residents living near the test site. Lawmakers are calling for a new arms control treaty and legislation to prevent unilateral action by the president on this critical issue.