>> governor, you have done an amazing job keeping the state of the state speech short this year. the pro tem and i look forward to going after the heisman committee. we do appreciate and look forward to working with you as we cut taxes, keep deregulating and as we work to keep our schools funded. we look forward to working with you, thank you. [applause] >> will the committee please come forward to escort the governor back to the office? smiling faces and all.

thank you again governor. [applause] >> our live coverage of this forum on nuclear deterrence continues with remarks from teresa robbins of the national nuclear security administration. this is hosted by the exchange monitor.

>> good afternoon everyone. we are about to get started if you will please take your seats. thank you. welcome to the 17th annual nuclear deterrence summit. i am the vice president of intelligence and group publisher for the exchange monitor newsletters and conferences. it is great to see such a strong turnout at this year's summit. with the change in administration, there are numerous changes taking place in washington and beyond, and we

are all impacted. four years ago, we had changes as well, and four years before that. yet the mission remains the same. for us, that is deterrence and that is why we are all here. before we start the program, a few announcements. the safety of everyone here is most important. we have uniformed security present and hotel staff is on alert. everyone must have a badge to enter the premises. the hotel has confirmed there are no fire drills scheduled for this week. that means if we hear an alarm, we need to take that seriously and if we are in this area of the building, we will exit out this room to the foyer down the escalators, follow the hallway around to the main lobby. we will go out the front door and our gathering point would be just beyond the covered parking area. i want to make a quick comment, apologize for the escalators. the hotel is working to get those fixed. if you happen to be in your

hotel room and an alarm sounds, please follow exit signs and exit information is on the back of each hotel room door. should anyone here have a minor emergency, we have a first-aid kit at the registration desk and we have plans in place for your safety and security. please were memory that all of us should remain vigilant. if you see something that is a concern, please reach out to one of our staff or uniformed security. the nearest restrooms are outside this ballroom, take a left at the foyer just beyond the top of the escalators. we have a complement to recoat check next to registration if you would like to use that service. thank you to ib3 global solutions. it is not a baggage check. if you are traveling and need to check your back, please use the bell desk downstairs. please silence your cell phones. if you have not downloaded the

app for this summit, directions are located on each of your tables. we also have signs up at registration and in the show guide. it is a very easy process. you can use the app to connect with others, read the agenda and provide feedback. a special thank you to -- nuclear solutions first -- for sponsoring the app again this year. connection information is also in the show guide and at the front desk. thank you to our wi-fi sponsor this year. if you are using twitter and you want to post. all sessions will take place in this ballroom this week. next door is where we have our sponsors and exhibitors, we will have coffee breaks and food and

receptions over there. we have a lounge area and the middle of the room, sponsored by merrick. we will be livestreaming everything happening in this room over in that exhibit hall in that lounge area. if you happen to be over there getting a cup of coffee, you will not miss anything. our livestreaming is sponsored by can tell us. after the sessions this afternoon, we hope you will stay for the reception hosted by our brand sponsor. we appreciate their long-standing partnership and support of the nuclear deterrence summit. we have a great team on-site to serve you. they are at the registration desk which is also our helpdesk. we are assisting operations and managing the exhibit hall and overseeing operations and helping out in all kinds of ways.

we have wayne and barbara from our editorial team. finally, we have nancy berlin, our program director. she will take the stage in just a second but for those of you who know nancy, we have a big announcement and it comes with some -- nancy is going to be retiring later this year. while we are excited for her and for the new adventures, we are definitely going to miss her. she's been working with us for many years and she has become a force in the industry. over the past few months, -- the head of content and clienttrucre division at access intelligence has been working closely with nancy. stand up and wave. thank you. you are going to see sandra on-and-off throughout the week.

she has a lot of experience in this industry and i am confident that the transition is going to go smoothly but nancy, we are going to miss you and we wish you the best. if you have any questions, requests or needs, please see one of us or staff. thank you to all of our sponsors for helping underwrite this weeks program and thank you all for being here. we have a great lineup of speakers and panelists. we think you will get a lot of your time. the subject matter is important. people around the country and around the world are depending on us to be informed and educated and as connected as possible. this summit is intended to serve that purpose. i would like to welcome nancy berlin to the stage to get us started. [applause] >> for now, i'm going to apologize in advance for the last seven years of cajoling

you, making you do things you didn't want to do, convincing you my way was the best way to do it and sooner or later you did find out it was easier just to agree with me and move on. this year has been a challenge. it is always a challenge when we have a change in administration and it brings me back to the first one i did, 2017. donald trump's first inauguration where he had no cabinet, no secretary of energy, no budget, no policy and no government people who were able to say anything about anything. i feel like we have come full circle because as brian was saying, this is a kickass program this year and that i am grateful. i'm grateful at the nsa comes

department who have stepped up in ways you cannot imagine to get all the right people here. i am ecstatic that we have new people like teresa robbins at headquarters who graciously said yes and tim mcconnell who is always my go to. and with that, i'm very happy to welcome back to the stage, de jeh johnson, vice president of honeywell federal system -- federal solutions who will be our moderator. i invite tj and teresa up to the stage. let's get this party started. moderator: thank you and good afternoon. i am honored to have you join us

for the 2025 nuclear deterrence summit, sponsored by the exchange monitor in collaboration with the department of energy and the dedicated industry members who support this mission. the summit's goals are clear. to enhance our understanding of nuclear deterrence, to foster collaboration among stakeholders, and most importantly, to develop actionable strategies around global security. additionally, we should take the opportunity to broaden our thinking and discussion and really think about that from a strategic deterrence perspective. if you think about it from the perspective of the nnsa, that encompasses the safety, security and effectiveness of the u.s. nuclear weapons stockpile, reducing the global dangers from weapons of mass destruction,

providing the u.s. navy with safe, reliable militarily effective nuclear propulsion, and finally, responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the united states. that's a broader concept than just strategic to terrence. strategic deterrence is something we should be thinking about as we carry on this particular summit. what's important is that across all of these topics, your participation is not just valuable. it is really essential, because each of you in this room plays a part in this deterrence, and that expertise and perspective is what is really needed as we have these discussions for this week. to open up this 17th nuclear deterrence summit, i'm honored to introduce our keynote speaker. she serves as the acting

administrator for the national nuclear security administration, and assistant principal deputy administrator for operations where she serves as the primary point of contact for nnsa headquarters, field offices and our partners. with an extensive background in nuclear science and public policy, she is dedicated to ensuring safety, security and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear arsenal. her leadership in nnsa has been pivotal in advancing nuclear nonproliferation efforts, securing nuclear material and maintaining readiness of the united states nuclear deterrent. her expertise and commitment to national security have fostered strong collaborations with international partners, while maintaining global nuclear security. her vision and her strategic

initiatives continue to drive the nnsa's mission to protect the nation and promote mobile stability. she has over two decades of experience in nuclear facility operations, engineering, safety analysis, maintenance and risk analysis, within the department of energy complex. she has served in various positions including deputy manager, senior scientific and technical assign -- environmental safety, health and quality and a federal project director. she earned a bachelors of science degree from the university of tennessee. [laughter] and throughout her distinguished career, she has been recognized for several prestigious awards, including the doe secretary honorwa for her exceptional contributions to national security, the nnsa administrator's distinguished service medal and the nnsa safety professional of the year.

these accolades underscore her commitment to excellence and her significant impact on the field of nuclear security. with seven days into a new presidential administration, 24 days with a new congress, and the upcoming arrival of future leaders for the department, now is a great opportunity to hear from one of the senior officials who is ensuring we maintain mission focus while guaranteeing a seamless and successful transition. please give a warm welcome to the acting administrator, teresa robbins. [applause] teresa: i appreciate that. is that too loud?

i always have to throw in support for my all in tears in tennessee, so sorry about that. -- for my volunteers in tennessee so sorry about that. good afternoon everyone. it is so good to see so many people here in person. it is a distinct pleasure to be here this afternoon, representing the national nuclear safety -- nuclear security administration. i want to give a shout out to all of you here. 2024 was an exceptional year for nnsa. many of you played a key role in making that happen. we should all recognize the accomplishments of nnsa in 2024. [applause]

i will start my comments by discussing the current global environment and its impact on our mission. then i will go through accomplishments in detail and updates over the last year that demonstrate how we are adapting and tackling the changing landscape. this hat -- as has been the case for several years, we are confronted by an international security lengths tape -- international nuclear security landscape with overlapping challenges. i often say these are unprecedented times. not since the cold war have we had seven simultaneous weapons programs and not since the manhattan project have we so fundamentally overhauled our infrastructure. combining the two together is surely unprecedented. the global nuclear environment remains dynamic with a mix of long-standing and novel challenges. russia maintains the world's

largest nuclear arsenal and has lowered the threshold on nuclear use. at the same time, china represents a unique long-term challenge for nnsa. although there nuclear arsenal remains numerically inferior for now, china has expanded the size of its nuclear arsenal and demonstrated sophisticated new delivery vehicles. this presents new situations for nnsa and the united states. first we have never faced a country that is an economic or, adversary that is also nuclear armed. china has or is building world-class industries in key fields and is an important global trade and technology influencer. we are also more economically intertwined with china than ever before. which means we need to place a new emphasis on the use of export control regulations for critical dual use technologies.

second, we have never faced two near peer nuclear adversaries at the same time. this presents a fundamentally different calculus for deterrence. finally, we are also seeing a growing level of military and economic cooperation between russia, china, iran and north korea. while these partnerships appear more opportunistic than a new security paradigm, we cannot discount the level of technological exchange or the possibility of nuclear sharing. in this environment, the u.s. nuclear deterrent is more important than ever as both the cornerstone of national defense and as a source of assurance for our allies. we need to continue to deliver on our modernized weapons will touch on more in a few minutes, on time and at pace to keep america safe and secure.

i want to start with focusing on strategic determines. you heard dj talk about that as well. i'm going to elaborate further. it does encompass our nuclear stockpile, our nuclear nonproliferation programs and propulsion. all three programs are required to sustain our national security. let me start with the nuclear stockpile. we have seven simultaneous stockpile modernization programs at different stages of execution. the program of record includes the b 61 -- while we celibate at the last production unit, we are still producing on that weapon. we also have the w 88, the w 80, the w 87-1, the w 93, the b 61 and slcm-n. our new security enterprise is actively working each of these programs.

most of the conversation around deterrence is understandably focused on the nuclear stockpile. however, we must sustain and strengthen our ability to prevent, counter and respond to state and nonstate actors acquiring nuclear or biological weapons or the materials, technology and expertise required to develop these weapons. nnsa has made significant improvements to our nation's ability to monitor and characterize foreign nuclear weapons programs including nuclear material production, weaponization activities and nuclear testing. nnsa has been at the forefront of advances in seismic and space-based monitoring and i'm proud of our progress in both areas. trust me, i didn't know all of this until i started as acting in a straight are, but we do some pretty cool stuff -- started as acting administrator, but we do some pre-cool stuff. these assets provide our leaders

with additional information about adversary capabilities and help inform our own abilities. at the same time, nnsa's continued work to what -- minimize weapon usable nuclear material around the world reduces the risk that these materials will fall into the hands of hostile state or nonstate actors for use in an improvised nuclear device. we are witnessing growing global interest in civilian nuclear power. the united states and countries around the world are looking to develop and deploy the next generation of nuclear power as a means of ensuring greater energy independence and fueling energy intensive industries like artificial intelligence. so far, 31 countries have joined a pledge to triple global nuclear energy capacity i-20 50. the united states has been a proponent and continues to be a proponent of safe and peaceful uses of atomic energy dating back to the eisenhower administration.

however, we must be clear eyed that if this occurs, there will be more nuclear material and more nuclear expertise in the world. many other countries who have either signed the pledge or have expressed interest in nuclear power are nuclear newcomers who lack the institutional expertise and capacity to ensure the highest possible safety and security standards. the next generation of nuclear reactors will likely utilize -- closer to 20% enrichment instead of traditional 5%. this will challenge nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear counterterrorism norms. the final area of strategic deterrence is our naval nuclear proposing program. this program reached a major milestone last year, celebrating its 75th anniversary. i think that deserves a round of applause.

[applause] since the first nuclear powered submarine, the uss nautilus went to see in 1955, the u.s. nuclear navy has steamed on a near-perfect service record, protected global shipping lanes and maintaining the assured second strike capability of the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad. the akasaka agreement which provides nuclear powered conventionally armed submarines to australia in partnership with the u.k. continues to make progress. i know you are going to hear more on that coming up after the break. last year the u.s. navy conducted the first submarine tendered maintenance in australian waters when uss hawaii underwent maintenance. this marks a significant step forward in developing australia's sovereign

capability. nnsa continues to partner with the navy on developing and delivering cutting-edge naval nuclear proposing technology that maintains the american strategic advantage in submarine and aircraft carrier capabilities. now i want to move on to accomplishments. while shifts in the global environment present challenges for nnsa, we have also hit multiple milestones in the past year that demonstrate our ability to deliver while overcoming many challenges in our capacity to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. let me start with our weapons modernization activities. last year, nnsa made 100% of its planned deliverables to the department of defense and the pan text plan which represents the performance of the entire enterprise met or exceeded baseline weapon program

deliveries for the year. this is the first time that has happened in decades. that is a testament. [applause] that is a testament to our workforce and the commitment they exhibit to our mission. this should reinforce that nnsa is able to deliver on stockpile requirements on time and at pace. just three years after building the first production unit for the b 61 life extension program, last month we reached our last production unit. the successful execution of this program saw the consolidation of multiple b 61 variance with updated nonnuclear components and improved safety, reliability and accuracy metrics that would extend its service life. this is a major technical accomplishment that requires assisting collaboration across

the nuclear security enterprise and provides enhanced certainty and assurance to both the american people and our allies. i have to take a sidestep here and congratulate the enterprise for being the most integrated collaborative enterprise that i have witnessed in my over 30 year career. that didn't happen by accident but it is so powerful to be part of something like not just our mission but to be on one team together, achieving our nation's mission. [applause] there is more. nnsa also reached two major benchmarks related to plutonium activities. the first was the completion of our reserve rigs up tens of -- for the life extension program.

the second was the production of the first diamond stamped plutonium pet, another accomplishment that took the enterprise working together. next i would like to touch on updates to nnsa infrastructure. tomorrow you will hear more about nnsa's enterprise blueprint, the combatant -- the culmination of a timeline of specialized facilities and capabilities we need to meet our mission deliveries on time over the next 25 years. the enterprise blueprint specifically links stockpile modernization programs with a need for new specialized infrastructure. i want to note that nnsa remains committed to the modernization and recapitalization of our production and scientific infrastructure in parallel with our weapons modernization. our aim is threefold. substantial increase --

introduce modern andfftechnologg processes and promote the application of modern safety and security standards for our workforce and the communities we operate in. beyond reestablishing a plutonium pit production capability, our largest ongoing project remains the uranium processing facility. over the last year, the process support facility achieved energization, allowing any -- allowing equipment and instrument testing, electrical commodities were completed, paving the way for casting start up in 2026. we also installed 140,000 linear feet of conduit at the salvage and accountability building. over all we remain on track for completing construction in 2027 with full operations by 2031.

other major construction projects also reached key milestones last year. last august the first phase of the kansas national security campus broke ground. they will move through 15 phases that will ultimately add 670 5000 square feet of office space and around 1.1 million square feet of manufacturing space and support buildings. last year saw the completion of the advanced fabrication facility at the pan text plant. this facility houses some of the most weekly advanced manufacturing machines available , enabling new high explosives machining and manufacturing capabilities. the infrastructure that supports our science and engineering efforts has also seen notable accomplishments in the last year. the work conducted at our laboratories is essential for the design, certification and assessment of the new clear stockpile and we are determined

to keep the nnsa and the united states on the cutting edge of scientific achievement. nowhere is this more evident than our supercomputing program. last year and the -- supercomputer was installed at the national laboratory. it will accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence, achieving a higher level of performance. even more impressively, el capitan has been installed as our first computing system. at 1.7 x of flaps which translates to the ability to perform 1.7 quintillion calculations per second. did anyone get that? the equivalent of a person doing one calculation every second for 54 billion years. the equivalent of a person doing one calculation every second for

54 billion years. el capitan offers unprecedented modeling and simulation capabilities for our stockpile stewardship row graham. if you want to know what all that means, talk to dr. -- who is here. are nonproliferation program could -- remains committed to the limit of surplus material both at home and globally. to date, nnsa has down blended over -- is down blending surplus plutonium and has completed 57 shipments to the waste isolation pilot plant in new mexico for final disposition. in keeping with our objective to strengthen international partnerships, on material reduction, nnsa partnered with japan to convert the first of two reactor cores at kyoto's university critical assembly from highly enriched uranium to halu following a decade-long

effort. finally, last year we eliminated more than 75 devices at home and abroad that contain high activity radioactive materials. this permanently reduces proliferation and nuclear terrorists by preventing those materials from falling into the wrong hands. -- recapitalize ends infrastructure in the naval nuclear propulsion program. -- completed its refueling overhaul last july. recapitalization of the sag provides another 20 years of training, research and development opportunities. we expect training of nuclear operators to resume at the site early this year. the split fuel handling recapitalization project at the

naval facility at the height of national laboratory continues to progress -- at the idaho national laboratory continues to progress. -- started construction on spent fuel storage pools. finally, nnsa has established a system of contracts with our management and operating contractors that strengthens our partnerships. this concept was previewed last year at this summit. i think i remember that. it was the big reveal. you'll hear more about it tomorrow. i'm proud to say that nnsa has achieved each of the previewed milestones from the last summit. proceeding forward, it is essential that we sustain and strengthen the partnership we have with our management and operating contractors to continue to successfully achieve strategic deterrence.

looking forward, these accomplishments across nnsa's mission demonstrate our ability to adapt and deliver amidst rapidly changing circumstances. with that i would like to take a few minutes to discuss some of our efforts for the year ahead. our primary focus remains delivering the current program on time and at pace. the b-6 112 program is developing spare components. the w 88 remains in full production, delivering on time. last year the wide 12 national security complex completed assembly of the b 61-13 test and evaluation assemblies and has sense achieved first production units. taking advantage of active b 61 production lines, we anticipate a first production unit no later

than fiscal year 2026. in addition to re-acceptance of pits, nnsa completed six additional reserve component first production units for the w 80-4 program, keeping it on track to develop a first production unit in fiscal year 2027. in line with the air force schedule for the long-range standoff cruise missile. the modification program reached a significant milestone with the production of the first plutonium pit for the program. the program also completed all component conceptual design reviews and remains on track to begin production in the early 20 30's. the w 93, a new warhead program based on existing designs remains on track for production starting in the mid-20 30's. carrying out the w 93 program is vital for continuing the long-standing cooperation with the united kingdom, which is

working on its own replacement warheads. finally the nuclear armed cruise missile became an acquisition program. the 2024 national defense authorization act requires an initial operating capability for slcm-n by the end of fiscal year 2034. we have initiated joint development of this system with the u.s. navy. taken together, the current record will run through the mid to late 20 30's and cover all three legs of the nuclear triad while introducing new deterrence capabilities. the successful completion of this program will provide increased safety, security and reliability for the u.s. nuclear stockpile while providing new options to the president, enhancing american and allied security. pivoting a bit, i also want to provide a quick update on our plutonium pit eduction program.

you'll hear more about this later. while reaching first production unit is a, major accomplishment, we are clear eyed about the work ahead. we remain committed to a two site strategy at los alamos, two site pit production in los alamos and the riverside with los alamos having the capacity to produce at least 30 pits per year in savannah river -- and savannah river able to produce 50 per year. we anticipate los alamos retaining the capability to produce 30 pits per year with increased manufacturing rate confidence as we install equipment through 2030. at savannah river, we are focused on completing construction of the savannah river plutonium processing facility in 2032.

once construction is complete, we will need to introduce nuclear material, established a manufacturing process, achieve fpu and then obtain rate reduction by about 2036. that's not all. nnsa made significant progress on the infrastructure at both sites to promote pit production. srppf, establishing the machining center, teaching critical skills and develop -- develop competency for training. at los alamos, 80,000 square feet of warehouses were completed to provide controlled storage and areas for equipment, practice for radiological work and testing of glove boxes and other critical equipment. to wrap up, i first want to

encourage everyone here to attend tomorrow's keynote on strategic planning at nnsa. we will have a more in-depth look at the initiatives at nnsa, aimed at making us more agile, efficient and able to deliver on our missions, including the enterprise blueprint and a system of contracts. there will also beat a discussion of workforce development and the relationship between nnsa headquarters, our field office and m and o contractors. i am very proud of all that we have and will accomplish at nnsa and i'm incredibly humbled i get to be a part of this mission. together we will continue to embrace adaptability, flexibility and resilience in a more uncertain future. will also continue to deliver on time as needed to ensure national security and global stability. thank you and i look forward to your questions. [applause]

dj: close just in case. thank you teresa for the comments. we've got about 15 minutes for some q and a. i have some questions but if you have questions in the audience, we have two microphone runners on each side. think about what questions you might have. i'll give you a couple minutes before we end but i do want to give you an opportunity to give some closing comments as well. first of all, there are a couple of things that you and i have both emphasized in our comments. we talked about strategic deterrence. deterrent and deterrence, two very different meanings.

part of what we want to do is make sure we are all on the same page in terms of how that is defined. can you talk about that difference from a nnsa perspective? teresa: absolutely. one of the things that we are stressing is the importance of most people when they think of nnsa, or nuclear security, they think of the stockpile. that is vitally important and will always be important for our strategic deterrence, but that in and of itself is not sufficient. the nonproliferation programs, counterterrorism programs, as well as our emergency response capabilities are just as foundational to our strategic deterrence. what i mean by that is what they do that is so important for a deterrent is they make sure

nuclear materials are not getting in the hands of state and nonstate actors, that they could become a nuclear nation or be misused somehow. they are doing this every day, almost 24/7, 365. there are people around the world guarding and making sure nuclear materials are not getting in the wrong hands. that is essential because if that material were to get into the hands of the wrong person, then it challenges our deterrence. then more people could become nuclear armed or nuclear capable. materials, technology, skills and capabilities, those are all essential that we are monitoring and making sure those capabilities are not proliferated because it strengthens our deterrence. we have to be able to respond if

something does happen, so looking at our nuclear emergency support team activities nest, they celebrated their 50th this year and they do amazing things. they have unique capabilities. we were just supporting the presidential inauguration, and they are already scheduled to start supporting the super bowl. i won't talk about any teams that are in the super bowl, especially with dj on the stage with me. dj: i just want to volunteer, to be able to go. teresa: i can just tell you if you work on that team, you don't get to see the super bowl because you are working doing important work. dj: then never mind. teresa: those are just as critical capabilities because we have to have the ability to ensure the safety of our events, as well as determine what has happened when a radiological

device is discovered or if there is material somewhere that it should not be. those are all to me, part of the strategic deterrence and we cannot forget the strength of our naval nuclear proposing program. -- nuclear propulsion program. it is essential that we have our nuclear powered navy and we've got to continue to support that. that was probably an easier connection for some folks to see. it is just as important to have a strong nuclear nonproliferation program. the reason i bring that up is because sometimes people think, why do we need to focus on nuclear nonproliferation as much as our nuclear deterrence? it is as much important as the nuclear deterrent. we have coined this term strategic deterrence and we are

out proselytizing on it. dj: thank you for the clarification. it is important for the experts who are evangelists in this audience, helping to explain this. one of the things with a new administration coming in with new political appointees, there is going to be a lot of educating we will have to do, especially for those who may be coming in and may not have as deep a background as the experts in this room. we are not going to talk about who is potentially going to be in what positions or who is going to be nominated, but certainly the nominee for the secretary of energy, chris wright who was testifying last week, he did talk about innovation and technology and how important it is for the department to move forward quickly as it relates to innovation, technology, moving faster. when you align that with the enterprise blueprint, i think a

lot about the science and technology side and you did mention some of the accomplishments but maybe you could comment more about the importance of the science and technology infrastructure and workforce going forward as we think about innovation and technology. teresa: absolutely. it is vital. with everything going on with artificial intelligence, quantum computing, machine learning, we have to be at the forefront, we do have the brightest today in our national laboratories, and we must continue to invest to ensure we have the brightest minds and that we are investing in the infrastructure to be able to sustain that. with our science and technology capabilities, we utilize those to design, certify and assess our nuclear deterrent. we cannot afford to fall behind

and not capitalize on the newest technologies as we advance our nuclear weapons program. so we have to invest in the infrastructure, what good does it do to have el capitan if the facility cannot support it or the electrical utilities are undersized or there is just not enough office space to house the scientists that are going to use it? so you have to look at all of the equation when you are talking about science and knowledge he. it's not ok just to invest in our nuclear weapons production facilities. we have to equally invest in the facilities that we utilize to design, certify and assess the stockpile. dj: i will peak around to see if there were any questions from the audience before i move on with the next one. we do have a question up front. we have another one in the back. let's start right here and then

i've got one more. we have about seven minutes. i want to take only two more questions. >> thank you very much for coming. my question is about pit production. the recently retired administrator said that the srppf is expected to make pits for the w 93 but -- there would be reused pits in the first part of the cycle. can you expand on that at all? for example, what pits -- could you expand on that in any way? teresa: i really can't expand much on that. i can't talk about what pits are going to be used, reused or not. that is the current plan. we do have to get the capacity

that savannah river plutonium processing facility will add to our capability to deliver the w 93. it is essential. when i talk about the time between specialized infrastructure and the stockpile modernization programs, that is a key one, for the w 93 and the srppf to be completed. dj: we will take one over here to the right. >> my question is -- i was having a discussion earlier with someone, with regards to public perception. i was specifically mentioning rocky flats and how growing up in colorado, you get the thoughts of a lot of coloradoans who disagree with what happened there. you were talking about a lot of the nuclear evangelists that may or may not be here at the present moment but what are the plans for the nnsa moving

forward, to provide a positive public appearance, therefore civilians can kind of increase policy decisions and help move that forward? teresa: thank you for the question. it is an essential one and being a former rocky flats employee, i do recall some of the public perception. it is essential that we continue to deliver efficiently and effectively on the funding that we get from the taxpayers. we have to deliver with what we are given. it is also essential that we continue our record of safety and security at our labs, plants and sites. this is one of the things we have been working with the parent companies that are tight with our operating contractors, making sure that we are -- not

only for the labs come plants insights themselves, but also we have -- labs, plants, and sites themselves. there was a closed secret attitude and approach to the communities. sometimes that worked and some communities were fine with that, but not everywhere. what i have found, i will tell you i've -- sorry. living in tennessee and working in texas, we appreciated very strong local support for our mission. i understand that may not always be the same situation everywhere, but i do think it is important that we get out with the truth and the facts about what we are doing. as far as our mission, you have to explain to folks. i was at a student activity at the university of tennessee, a

student came up to me and said we like you but we don't like your mission and i said expand more. they said the oppenheimer movie. i said ok, explain more. their perception was the movie ended with the dilemma on the use of nuclear weapons. the ethical dilemma. what we are about is deterrence. we do not ever want to be in a position where someone uses a nuclear weapon on us, or where we are in a situation where we might have to use a nuclear weapon. we do what we do because it is the foundation of our nation's security and i know you will hear from general cotton on wednesday. he is a big advocate for this is essential. what we do is foundational to our nations security and i think it is helping people understand that, that it is not that we are

a bunch of folks who are planning to go out and use nuclear weapons easily, we are about nuclear deterrence. dj: thank you. in the last two minutes, i will give you an opportunity to give us the last word but i want to do two things. if you are a federal employee, just raise your hand. we can see lots of them in the room. i want to first of all say thank you, to the federal employees that are here. [applause] first of all because of your participation here. that is important, to have the participation of the federal employees. but the second thing is that transitions are not easy and there was a lot of pressure on the federal staff, and they do a great job day in and day out, so we just want you to know, we've

got your back. we are working with you and we will get through this together as a team, so thank you for that. the second thing i want to do, at this summit we are going to be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the nevada national security sites. i wanted to give you the 75th anniversary pin on behalf of the nnss. tomorrow there is a champagne toast at the lunch, so make sure you come back for lunch tomorrow. you will get a nice cake pop and whatever else they are going to give out tomorrow, so i wanted to thank roger for that. ok, final comments. teresa: final comments. team, we have a lot of work ahead of us. it can look daunting when you look at what we have to accomplish but the one thing i'm

confident of is we've got the right team, we are partnering stronger than ever and i am confident we will succeed because we have to, so thank you for what you do and i look forward to continuing to work with you in whatever capacity i may be in, in the future. [applause] thank you. hopefully that was ok. >> we are getting ready to join our sponsors for a break from 3:00 to 3:30 and now you are free to visit with all of your friends. ♪

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>> buckeye broadband supports c-span as a public servi along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. coming up shortly, house republican leaders will be speaking athe annual policy retreat. it is being held at t trump national resort in miami. we will have live coverage of that when it gets underway here on c-span. host: joining us now to discuss president trump withdrawing from the world health organization is dr. amesh adalja, a senior scholar at the john hopkins center for health security at the limburg school of public health. thank you so much for being back on the program. why don't we start by talking about the world health organization. remind our viewers what it is

and who is involved? guest: the world health organization is a organization that is a subsidiary of the united nations. it is a convening place for most of the countries talk about health issues that affect the globe and to respond to infectious disease outbreaks. and they have a very big footprint. the part that i focus on myself as an infectious disease physician is their role in communicable disease control. this is the way we learn about outbreaks and an organization that has regional offices for africa, asia and all over the globe where they have some region in all countries and have some relationships with the ministries of health, health departments and health care system in those areas and they do provide support. most importantly what they

provide is situational awareness of what is going on in the world. host: and what does the u.s.' current involvement in the world health organization look like? what is the give and take. what are we contributing and what are we getting out of it? guest: the u.s. is the largest single donor country to the budget. the world health organization is funded by donor countries having dues that they pay and other organizations can contribute. the bill and melinda gates is a major contributor. not only do they pay dues, the united states says collaborative grants giving the who grants with -- for projects that they might be engaged in, which does not just come from health and human services but also the department of defense that works with the who and then there are many employees that work with the cdc that are technically cdc

employees that are seconded to the who or they are working at the who but they are technically cdc employees. what the u.s. gets is a big seat at the table for where a lot of issues relating to communicable disease control arise. for example when there is an outbreak in the country on the others out of the globe, it is the who that gets notified and in the u.s. gets notified. for example, if there is a new organism discovered or a new virus discovered, the genetic sequence will be given to the who which will be given to the u.s. which will be given to pharmaceutical companies. there is a lot of benefit. the biggest one is that you want to know what is going on in the infectious disease world as close to real time as possible. being part of the who allows that to occur because there are many places where the cdc does not go where they do not have

great relationships with the ministry of health but the who does. that is what i think is the greatest value, having a place where we can learn about what is happening on the others to the world and we in the united states can be proactive about preparing for something or getting resources to stop something from spreading. that is what the who offers. host: he will be with us for about the next 35 minutes or so on this topic. if you have a question or comment you can start calling in. democrats, 202-748-8000. republicans, 202-748-8001. independents, 202-748-8002. also i want to let you know that if you are a medical professional there is a line for you and that is 202-748-8003. and of course, you can also find us on x and you can text in your comments at that same number.

doctor, this week president trump signed an executive order withdrawing the u.s. from the world health organization. what can you tell us about that? guest: this is something he did during his first term as well that is not instantaneous. so when he signs that declaration saying that he has the intention to withdraw the united states that starts a year-long process where sort of those activities wind down. we are still in the who as of now and will be up until january 20 when the anniversary of that order was signed. what that signals is something that he has talked about. this is not surprising. he did it during his first term and since he was not reelected that never really came into action and president biden reversed it. what it does is it reflects and we can talk about some of his frustrations with the who and people's frustrations.

on balance this is a drastic way to address concerns that are legitimate. i think it will end up being the wrong thing to do if your goal is to increase the united states' resiliency to infections is -- infectious disease. host: you are saying we have a year left if we do end up ultimately withdrawing from the world health organization, what impact will that have on the u.s. when we are no longer part of that organization? guest: the biggest impact is what i alluded to earlier. we do not have the ability to know what is going on with infectious disease outbreaks all over the world immediately. there will be a lag and we will not be at the table when those types of outbreaks come to light and when people are making decisions about public health emergencies of international concern and what resources. the u.s. will be acting unilaterally instead of being part of the organization that is

notified and crafts that response. i think that is what we are losing out on, our ability to know immediately what is going on and coordinate a response. it is also the case that, and i am sure you will ask about this later, there are reforms needed to who. it is much less likely that those reforms occur if the u.s. is not at the table. there are real issues that need to be addressed. but, and the u.s. has been at the forefront of bringing these to light. if the u.s. is not part of the who, it will not be able to actually fix these issues. i think it is important to know that we need a world organization that deals with communicable diseases because this is different. it is not like heart attacks or hypertension. this is something, when it comes to infectious disease, they are a global phenomenon. because many of them are

transmissible. they are communicable and get from person-to-person. and they do not recognize a border. and with the speed of travel and the rise of megacities and how quickly you can get from one side of the globe to the other, every country in order to be resilient domestically has to be looking all over the globe for threats that might emanate. and that is why a communicable disease organization that covers the globe and covers the planet is something that is valuable to everybody. host: we have collars waiting to talk and we will start with mitch in louisiana, line for medical professionals. good morning. caller: good morning. host: go ahead. caller: hey, i am just wondering if he has practiced at all.

guest: do i practice or have i practiced medicine? i just worked the day before yesterday. i do practice infectious disease, emergency care in the pittsburgh metropolitan area and i have done that since i started my residency. i am about 50% clinical and the other 50% is sent -- is spent with the center for health security at johns hopkins. host: you also have experience with types of infectious diseases. what can you tell us about your experience there? gov. noem: i focus -- guest: i focus a lot on emerges -- emerging infectious diseases. and i look at patients with an infection of the skin to bloodstream infections to covid and influenza and hiv to mpox. when you are in infectious disease physician you are in the

hospital and other doctors consult you. that can sound pretty routine like an infection of a prosthetic hip, but it could be like a traveler coming back from a different country that has a fever or someone who has cancer and an organ transplant and an unknown infection so you have to sort that out. it is a very challenging and intellectually stimulating job where anything can happen and any case can be very important. i certainly saw a lot of covid cases. i took care of covid cases before we were actually able to test people. i cannot count how many covid-19 cases i have taken care of. in the last couple weeks i have been seeing influenza cases, which is high in the united states which is translating to patients in the hospital with influenza. host: marine and pennsylvania -- in pennsylvania, line for republicans. are you there? caller: good morning.

thank you for having me. thank you for coming on c-span. i have a question or two. with the world health organization, america has paid $500 million towards this organization. we have donated or gave them that. why are we not only doing $39 billion like china and take that other $407 million and may be making flint, michigan water healthier for our american citizens and getting the appellation mountain people health care, better health care and electricity, and water. help us before -- you have to do not a handout but a hand up. and with the american people, we are suffering. i am lucky enough to live in philadelphia, pennsylvania.

so, i will rattle on. go ahead. guest: i think those are real issues that need to be brought up. how much do other countries contribute versus how much does the u.s.. and so, i think that is a legitimate issue that should be discussed. but i do not think withdrawing is the solution because there is still value to be had by being part of the who. when it comes to determining each -- how much each country should pay, that is an area that needs real reform. it should not be the united states shouldering the bulk of the burden. and that is something that president trump and his team needs to address. but i do not think by removing the ability of the u.s. to actually get disease alert outbreak updates from the who or being part of that is worth that. and there are priorities that the u.s. has to continue to fund.