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Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Lead Republican of the House Armed Services Committee Mike Rogers (R-AL) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin regarding an apparent questionnaire sent to U.S. allies on U.S. nuclear declaratory policy.
 
“Given our oversight responsibilities, as well as ongoing considerations of the National Defense Authorization Act, we respectfully request that you provide our respective committees with a copy of the ‘Sole Purpose Questionnaire,’ copies of each response received from U.S. allies, and any other cables or memos conveying ally views regarding a potential change in U.S. nuclear declaratory policy,” the lawmakers wrote. 
 
The full text of the letter can be found here or below. 

Dear Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin:
 
We write to you today concerning ongoing Biden administration deliberations to modify U.S. nuclear declaratory policy to either one of “Sole Purpose” or “No First Use.” Specifically, a press story in the Financial Times dated October 29, 2021, titled “Allies Lobby Biden to Prevent Shift of ‘No First Use’ of Nuclear Arms,” describes a questionnaire that the U.S. sent to allies on the topic. The article goes on to state that allies responded in unison and provided “an overwhelming negative response to any changes in nuclear policy.” 
 
Given our oversight responsibilities, as well as ongoing considerations of the National Defense Authorization Act, we respectfully request that you provide our respective committees with a copy of the “Sole Purpose Questionnaire,” copies of each response received from U.S. allies, and any other cables or memos conveying ally views regarding a potential change in U.S. nuclear declaratory policy. We request the materials be delivered no later than November 19, 2021.
 
We appreciate your consideration of these important matters of U.S. national security.

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