[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 38 (Tuesday, April 12, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                            MORNING BUSINESS

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 THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A COMPREHENSIVE TEST 
                               BAN TREATY

  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, in 1992, I joined other Senators in 
authoring an amendment that requires the administration to seek to 
achieve a comprehensive test ban [CTB] treaty by September 1996. This 
amendment, adopted by the Senate and enacted into law, was a clear 
declaration that the American people desire an end to the threat of 
nuclear war.
  I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Clinton 
administration on its efforts to achieve the goal set forth in our 
amendment. Since coming into office, President Clinton has twice 
extended the nuclear testing moratorium established by the legislation, 
and rightly condemned a test conducted by China last October. The 
President and his administration are now taking steps to ensure that 
progress can be made this year on the CTB treaty. The President's 
message to this year's opening session of the Conference on Disarmament 
was a clear statement of U.S. commitment to swift negotiation of the 
treaty. John Holum, Director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament 
Agency, has translated this commitment into actions intended to promote 
the achievement of the treaty without delay.
  Mr. President, progress on the CTB treaty is critical both in its own 
right and in order to enhance the prospects for an indefinite extension 
of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995. I commend President Clinton 
and Director Holum for their efforts to date to obtain swift completion 
of the CTB treaty, and urge them to continue in this leadership role. I 
ask unanimous consent to include in the Congressional Record with my 
statement an article written by Director Holum that appeared recently 
in the Christian Science Monitor. This article outlines both the 
administration's commitment to the CTB treaty and actions being taken 
to achieve this goal.

          [From the Christian Science Monitor, Mar. 30, 1994]

           United States Stands Committed To Nuclear Test Ban

                           (By John D. Holum)

       President Clinton underscored on March 15 America's 
     commitment to negotiating a global ban on nuclear testing: He 
     told Congress that the United States will continue its 
     current moratorium on testing through September 1995. The 
     decision demonstrated bold American leadership that will give 
     new impetus to the international talks on a Comprehensive 
     Test Ban (CTB) in Geneva. The first round ends on March 31, 
     with encouraging progress thus far.
       Achieving a CTB is critical to this administration's arms 
     control and nonproliferation strategy. A permanent ban on 
     testing will lower international tensions and provide new 
     insurance against an arms race between the nuclear powers. As 
     importantly, it will stem nuclear proliferation by 
     discouraging other nations from developing their own nuclear 
     arsenals. Continuing the moratorium creates the most 
     conducive atmosphere for negotiating a CTB, and it puts the 
     US in the best possible position to urge indefinite extension 
     of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995.
       Nonnuclear-weapons states that must vote on extension of 
     the NPT have often questioned the seriousness of the nuclear 
     powers in curbing their own nuclear-weapons programs. 
     Extending the moratorium and working diligently for the CTB 
     agreement is the best demonstration of that seriousness.
       Mr. Clinton's decision was premised on a fundamental 
     assessment of the US nuclear arsenal by the Pentagon and 
     Department of Energy. They affirmed that our nuclear weapons 
     are safe and reliable--fully able to provide the strategic 
     deterrence on which the security of our nation depends. While 
     additional tests could conceivably help prepare for a test 
     ban--by providing further improvements in safety and 
     reliability--the president believes that any benefits derived 
     from testing are outweighed by the negative impact on our 
     nonproliferation goals.
       He also based his decision on the fact that Russia, 
     Britain, and France have not carried out any nuclear tests 
     since the moratorium went into effect. Only China has 
     exploded a nuclear device during this time.
       After the Chinese test, the US protested vigorously to the 
     Chinese government but decided that the test was not 
     sufficient grounds for breaking the US moratorium. The US 
     continues to press China hard to join the moratorium in order 
     to further the CTB negotiations and advance global nuclear 
     nonproliferation.
       On Jan. 25, I delivered a strong message from Clinton to 
     the opening session of the Conference on Disarmament in 
     Geneva, where delegates from many countries are now 
     negotiating a CTB. The president emphasized that there is no 
     more important an issue for the conference ``than the 
     negotiation of a comprehensive and verifiable ban on nuclear 
     explosions.''
       He said that a CTB ``reflects our common desire to take 
     decisive action that will support and supplement the global 
     nuclear nonproliferation regime and will further constrain 
     the acquisition and development of nuclear weapons.''
       In the nine weeks since bringing the president's message, 
     delegates at the Geneva Conference have made real progress. 
     They are striving within working groups to address difficult 
     verification and legal issues. They are evaluating 
     technologies to help monitor a test ban, including a network 
     of seismic stations, atmospheric radioactivity detectors, and 
     on-site inspections.
       The US delegation in Geneva, led by Amb. Stephen Ledogar, 
     will surely encounter obstacles in the negotiating that lies 
     ahead. But we intend to push as hard as possible to resolve 
     contentious issues and prevent them from blocking the path 
     toward a CTB.
       Each of the nuclear powers has committed itself to 
     achieving a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing--and many 
     other nations are willing to follow the lead. We must not 
     squander this unprecedented opportunity by failing to assert 
     US leadership or weakly pursuing US arms control and 
     nonproliferation goals. We must rededicate ourselves to the 
     task of achieving a CTB.

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