The Obama administration’s recent submission to the Senate for ratification of two Nuclear Weapons Free Zones has prompted a backlash from Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ).  The basis for the good Senator’s opposition is about as compelling as the reasons for his opposition to New START.  In other words, not compelling at all.

Nuclear Weapons Free Zones are declared zones in which the presence, production, acquisition and use of nuclear weapons are banned by the signatory states. On May 2, President Obama submitted two requests to ratify the protocols of nuclear free-zone treaties- Pelindaba in Africa and Rarotonga in the South Pacific.   The U.S. has signed the treaties, but has not yet ratified the protocols which commit us not to test or use nuclear weapons within the zones.  The U.S. did sign and ratify, however, the Treaty of Tlatelolco (with Reagan’s support for ratification), the Latin American and Caribbean nuclear weapons free zone treaty, so ratification of Pelindaba and Rarotonga would not be a grand departure from policy.

As the Arms Control Association’s Peter Crail has laid out, the arguments for Senate approval of the protocols are strong.

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NWFZ, Senate, Kyl (all tags)

ox•y•mo•ron = a combination of contradictory or incongruous words

(as cruel kindness)

People frequently ask – well, at least congressional wonks– what is the Senate schedule? When will it consider a piece of legislation or when might a vote occur?

The correct answer to these questions usually is, “Who Knows?” That’s because the Majority Leader usually does not know. The Republican leader does not know. The other 98 Senators do not know.

Take recent predictions by the people most directly interested in getting a handle on the Senate schedule during the recently concluded lame duck session: 100 Senators.

Arizona Senator Jon Kyl (R) told MSNBC on November 18, "I think there is no chance that [the START] treaty can be completed in the lame duck session."

Hmmm. Turns out there was a chance.

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New START, Senate, nuclear weapons (all tags)

Senate Floor Speeches by Sen. Byron Dorgan
Nuclear weapons complex modernization
Case for nuclear weapons reductions
December 22, 2010

Mr. President, there has been a great deal of discussion about modernization this morning. I have listened to much of it and was not going to come to the floor, but I do want the record to show clearly what the numbers are on modernization. It is important to the future for us to understand what has been done and what is being done and what will be done.

  I chair the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds nuclear weapons activities. I have spoken about this previously. It is very important going forward that we all understand what not only this administration but the previous administration has proposed with respect to modernization. I agree with my colleague from Kentucky. It is encouraging, at the end of this debate, that two bipartisan amendments represent the conclusion of this very important debate. We often debate things that are of lesser importance or of greater importance and sometimes don't always see the difference between the two. But this is one of those cases where if we ratify the START agreement today, when all is said and done, more will have been done than said. That is very unusual in a political body.

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New START, Senate, nuclear weapons (all tags)

By John Isaacs and Kingston Reif

New START Debate (Day 8, the final day – December 22)

After a battle that lasted many months, the Senate voted 71-26 to give its advice and consent to the New START Resolution of Ratification.

The effort to win the Senate’s two-thirds majority was like riding a roller coaster, with optimism followed by pessimism followed by optimism and back and forth.

Ultimately, the vote was a remarkably bipartisan victory in an intensely hyper-partisan atmosphere. It is a victory for the consensus of former national security officials of both parties and both active duty and retired military.

It is certainly a victory for the Obama Administration that won three major bipartisan measures in the waning days of Congress: the tax cut bill, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and New START.

By approving New START, the United States has sent a strong signal to the world that it can be counted on to be a reliable partner and leader in promoting nuclear stability. The treaty will also help buttress cooperative efforts with Russia and others to secure and safeguard nuclear material stockpiles and warheads and maintain and strengthen support for tougher measures against rogue states such as North Korea and Iran.

Before the final vote, the Senate adopted a Kyl amendment by voice vote, worked out with Senator Kerry (D-MA) and the Administration, to accelerate funding for modernization of the nuclear weapons complex.

The Senate also adopted by voice vote a McCain (R-AZ), Lieberman (I-CT), Corker (R-TN) amendment to make it clear that the United States does not accept the Russian interpretation of the missile defense language in the treaty and an understanding that the preamble to the treaty is not binding (stating the obvious and restating Obama Administration position).

Ratification of the treaty is only the beginning. The U.S. and Russia should take advantage of the momentum created by the approval of New START to pursue negotiations on reductions in all types of nuclear warheads, including non-deployed and non-strategic warheads, in a timely manner.

Lots of credit goes to Senators Kerry and Lugar (R-IN), who managed the treaty, other Senators who have been active for the treaty such as Casey (D-PA), Shaheen (D-NH), Cardin (D-MD), Franken (D-MN) and others, the Obama Administration who put together a terrific campaign (and I will not name everyone because there are too many to name) and a terrific effort by the arms control community.

It is now time for everyone to scatter for their well-deserved holiday vacations.

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New START, Senate, nuclear weapons (all tags)

December 21, 2010

Republican Senators voting aye bolded and italicized

YEAs ---67
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Baucus (D-MT)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Brown (R-MA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Coons (D-DE)
Corker (R-TN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Manchin (D-WV)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)

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New START, Senate, nuclear weapons (all tags)

1.      (Defeated) McCain Amendment 4814 to strike

“Recognizing the existence of the interrelationship between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms, that this interrelationship will become more importation as strategic nuclear arms are reduced, and that current strategic defensive arms do not undermine the viability and effectiveness of the strategic offensive arms of the Parties.”

2.      Inhofe Amendment 4833 VERIFICATION to increase the number of Type One inspections from 10 to 30 as well as increasing the number of Type Two inspections from 8 to 24.

3.      (Defeated) Risch Amendment 4839 would insert the following into the preamble:

“Acknowledging there is an interrelationship between non-strategic and strategic offensive arms, that as the number of strategic offensive arms is reduced this relationship becomes more pronounced and requires an even greater need for transparency and accountability, and that the disparity between the Parties’ arsenals could undermine predictability and stability.”

4.      Ensign Amendment 4840 RAIL MOBILE seeks to clarify that a self-propelled device means a railcar or flatcar (road mobile devices).

5.      Thune Amendment 4841 WARHEAD LIMITS seeks to increase the limits on the number of deployed strategic delivery vehicles (ICBMs, SLBMs, and Heavy Bombers) from 700 to 720.

6.      Thune Amendment 4842 WARHEAD LIMITS seeks to increase the limits on the number of deployed strategic delivery vehicles (ICBMs, SLBMs, and Heavy Bombers) from 700 to 800.

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New START, Senate, nuclear weapons (all tags)

'Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a treaty was stirring, not even New START.
The speeches were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that some amendments soon would be there;
The Senators were nestled all snug in their rooms,
While smells of jet fuel danced in their heads.

When out on the plaza there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

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New START, Christmas, Senate (all tags)

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived - New START is heading to the Senate floor! Unfortunately there's not likely to be much debate today, as Sen. DeMint has promised to force a reading of all 356 pages of the treaty and its supporting documents, which apparently will take 15 7-12 hours! Gotta love the GOP: Many Republican Senators have been harping for weeks that there is not enough time to consider the treaty before the end of the year, and now when the treaty actually hits the floor, these same Senators plan to deliberately waste time by forcing a reading of a treaty that's been available for review for nearly 8 months!

Stay tuned to this space for updates, commentary, and musings on all things New START. And if you'd rather not learn about the treaty by listening to its reading on the Senate floor, check out our START briefing book on the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation website. Below is an excerpt: Our handy primer on the basics of treaty ratification procedure...

UPDATE 12/15, 2:45 PM: It looks like Sen. DeMint has backed off his threat to force the reading of the text of the treaty. The procedural motion to proceed to executive session passed by a vote of 66-32, which included the support of nine Republicans. Debate will commence tomorrow!

UPDATE 12/16, 9:00 AM: Read my take on the healthy start for New START over at the Chain Reaction, the Council for a Livable World's blog!

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New START, Senate (all tags)

Senators John Ensign (R-NV), Jim DeMint (R-SC) and 20 colleagues sent a letter to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on December 2 to say not so fast on New START (8 months is too fast?).

The Senators said:

“We have numerous amendments requiring significant debate to the treaty as well as the resolution of ratification that we would like to offer and have votes on.  It would be unwise and improper to do this in a hurried fashion over the course of only a few days.”

The letter serves as a signal that these 22 Senators are most likely to vote no when the Senate takes up the treaty. See list below.

Also noteworthy are the dogs that did not bark (fans of Sherlock Holmes?).

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New START, Senate, nuclear weapons (all tags)

Congress is in the end game. Finally.

Majority Leader Harry Reid wants the Senate to go home on December 17.

We do too, so long as the Senate approves New START before going home.

But Reid also laid out an extensive agenda for the next two weeks -- including, of course, the New START nuclear reduction treaty.

On the list for the last two weeks:

New START Treaty
Impeachment trial of Louisiana judge
9/11 heath bill
Firefighters collective bargaining
DREAM immigration bill
$250 cost of living for seniors
New Continuing Resolution or Appropriations Bill
Don't Ask Don't Tell as part of Defense Authorization Bill
Tax cuts

No partridges or pear trees are on the list.

But maybe Secret Santa has some surprises left.

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New START, Senate (all tags)