It is completely shocking that in a time when Japan is facing a nuclear crisis, Republican lawmakers are calling for cuts to spending for nuclear security. These cuts include $1.4 billion for training to respond to chemical and radioactive disasters, $131 million for the Office of Nuclear Energy and over 50,000 jobs that work in nuclear safety and emergency response. These cuts weaken the ability of the United States to prevent and respond to potential nuclear disasters. However, if the disaster in Japan has shown us anything, it is that additional safety measures need to be added to nuclear reactors to make them even safer! It should be obvious to everyone that one of the main duties of the government is to ensure the safety of the country’s citizens, but the actions of Republicans in Congress don’t seem to reflect that.