Statement from NENSC Co-Chairs, Hon. Daniel Poneman, ADM (ret.) Richard Mies, and Executive Director Jay Tilden on the Legacy of Ambassador Thomas Graham
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2026
Statement from NENSC Co-Chairs, Hon. Daniel Poneman, ADM (ret.) Richard Mies, and Executive Director Jay Tilden on the Legacy of Ambassador Thomas Graham
WASHINGTON, D.C. — All of us at NENSC are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ambassador (ret.) Thomas Graham Jr., at the age of 92. He served as the founding Co-Chair of the Coalition from 2019 to 2024, where he was dedicated to advancing U.S. national security interests through a robust civil nuclear enterprise.
“Tom Graham was a patriot and an outstanding public servant, loyally serving six presidents and demonstrating that nuclear security, arms control, and nonproliferation can and must rise above partisan considerations,” said Co-Chair Daniel Poneman. “He was a good friend and valued colleague who continued his contributions after leaving government, including his leadership at the founding of the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition. We will miss his wisdom and guidance.”
After graduating Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Ambassador Graham dedicated his career and energies to the nation serving in the State Department as a diplomat of the highest caliber, finding himself at the center of international arms control and non-proliferation negotiations for the United States, including the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, the START I and START II Treaties, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Ambassador Graham also served over a decade as the general counsel and almost a year, in 1993, as the acting director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. President Clinton later appointed him as Special Representative of the President for Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament from 1994 to 1997, where Ambassador Graham led the U.S. government's effort that secured the permanent extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995.
###
The Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC) is an independent organization of leading national security experts dedicated to leveraging U.S. nuclear energy to advance U.S. national security interests. NENSC is dedicated to expanding recognition of this interdependence among policymakers at all levels and promoting policies that ensure a robust U.S. nuclear energy enterprise.
Statement from NENSC Executive Director Jay Tilden on the Imminent Transmittal of the U.S.–Saudi Arabia 123 Nuclear Agreement
Sustained U.S. engagement is America's strongest nonproliferation tool. NENSC Executive Director Jay Tilden on why Congress should evaluate the agreement on its actual provisions — and why a Saudi program built with Russian or Chinese partners would carry none of the stringent obligations that come with U.S. cooperation.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2026
Statement from NENSC Executive Director Jay Tilden on the Imminent Transmittal of the U.S.–Saudi Arabia 123 Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jay Tilden, Executive Director of the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC), issued the following statement today on the Administration's imminent transmittal of the U.S.–Saudi Arabia 123 agreement to Congress:
A civil nuclear agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in the national security interest of the United States. Once the agreement is transmitted to Congress, it opens the 90-day review window that Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act was designed to provide — and that is exactly how the system should work. Congress should use the review period to examine those provisions rigorously. It is important to consider that U.S. engagement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will establish very stringent standards for nuclear security and nonproliferation, enable institutional and commercial linkages that ensure U.S. influence and involvement over the 80-100 year life of the Saudi nuclear energy program, and finally will deter Russian or Chinese influence in this strategically important region. As such, Congress should evaluate the agreement based on its actual provisions—not misconceptions—and recognize that sustained U.S. engagement is America's strongest nonproliferation tool.
Contrary to some claims that the agreement would lower U.S. nonproliferation standards, news reports and our sources indicate the safeguards and nonproliferation measures actually surpass those of a standard Section 123 agreement and exceed the terms proposed by the Biden Administration. Lastly, it is important to consider that a Saudi program built with Russian or Chinese partners would have none of the uniquely stringent nonproliferation obligations that come with U.S. cooperation.
NENSC will review the transmitted agreement once it is available and our Expert Council, which includes former senior officials from across multiple administrations, is available to Congressional offices, the press, and the public throughout the review period.
In preparation for this transmittal, NENSC has convened bipartisan expert discussions on these questions, including a February 2026 panel with the Center for the National Interest (CFTNI) featuring NENSC Co-Chair Hon. Daniel Poneman, NENSC Expert Council Member, Hon. Stephen Rademaker, and former Assistant Secretary of State, Hon. Robert Einhorn.
NENSC and CFTNI will host a follow-on public discussion during a webinar on July 31, further examining the transmitted text.
To schedule time with NENSC experts on the agreement, please contact information@nensc.org.
###
The Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC) is an independent organization of leading national security experts dedicated to leveraging U.S. nuclear energy to advance U.S. national security interests. NENSC is dedicated to expanding recognition of this interdependence among policymakers at all levels and promoting policies that ensure a robust U.S. nuclear energy enterprise.
NENSC Congratulates Lawmakers for Bipartisan Introduction of the ARC Act
The Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC) congratulates Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) and Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on today’s reintroduction of the Accelerating Reliable Capacity (ARC) Act of 2026, which would provide billions of dollars in federal backing for nuclear reactors.
NENSC Launches “Atomically Speaking” Podcast to Advance Dialogue on Nuclear Energy’s Role in U.S. Security
The Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC) is proud to announce the launch of Atomically Speaking, a new and innovative podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of nuclear energy and U.S. national security.
President Signs Executive Orders to Expand Nuclear Energy Production
President Donald Trump signed four Executive Orders that seek to ease regulations on and expand the production of nuclear energy.
Commission on Nuclear Energy and American Leadership Releases “A Blueprint for the Future”
The Commission on Nuclear Energy and American Leadership (CNEAL) released a report detailing recommendations for the incoming Trump Administration on ways to secure and grow the benefits that nuclear energy can provide while minimizing its risks.
DOE Awards Propel U.S. Leadership in Nuclear Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced four recipients for uranium enrichment services aimed at establishing a domestic supply chain of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), essential for deploying advanced nuclear reactors.