[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 37 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page S2725]]



              LET'S DEBATE THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to add my voice to 
those who have spoken about the need to bring the Chemical Weapons 
Convention [CWC] to the Senate floor for debate at the earliest 
possible date. As everyone in this body knows, the U.S. Senate must 
ratify the CWC by April 29, 1997, in order for the United States to 
become an original party to the convention.
  To date, 70 countries have ratified the CWC, and another 161 
countries are signatories. The United States has taken a leadership 
role throughout the negotiations surrounding this treaty, and yet, with 
time running out, the Senate has not voted on the document that so many 
Americans have helped to craft.
  Time is of the essence in this debate for several reasons. One reason 
is, of course, the April 29 deadline by which the U.S. Senate must 
ratify this treaty so that the United States may be a full participant 
in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [OPCW], the 
governing body that will have the responsibility for deciding the terms 
for the implementation of the CWC.
  A second reason is the constitutional responsibility of the Senate to 
provide its advice and consent on all treaties signed by the President. 
This treaty was signed by President Bush in January 1993, and was 
submitted to the Senate by President Clinton in November of that year. 
Unfortunately, the Senate has not yet fulfilled its responsibility with 
respect to this treaty.
  A third reason, and what I believe is one of the most important, is 
the need for adequate time for debate of this treaty and its 
implications for the United States prior to the April 29 deadline for 
ratification. Many have expressed concern over various provisions in 
the CWC. Senators should have the opportunity to debate these concerns, 
and the American people deserve the chance to hear them. Senators will 
also have the opportunity to voice their concerns during debate of the 
treaty's implementing legislation, which will most likely be discussed 
in conjunction with the treaty itself.
  As a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I have had 
the opportunity to participate in hearings on this issue. In all the 
hearings and deliberations over the efficacy of this treaty, two things 
have been made crystal clear: First, the CWC is not perfect, and 
second, the CWC is the best avenue available for beginning down the 
road to the eventual elimination of chemical weapons.
  There are real flaws, as we all recognize, with the verifiability of 
the CWC. There will be cheating and evasions and attempts to obey the 
letter but not the spirit of the treaty. But most of the responsible 
players on the international stage will recognize that through the CWC 
the world has spoken, and firmly rejected chemical weapons.
  The CWC was laboriously crafted over three decades to meet the 
security and economic interests of states parties. The United States 
was at the forefront of that effort; the treaty reflects U.S. needs and 
has the blessing and enthusiastic support of our defense and business 
communities.
  Can the treaty be improved? Of course. But the CWC has a provision 
for amendment after it comes into force. I would hope that the United 
States would be again at the head of efforts to make the treaty more 
effective after a period to test its utility. We have the technological 
means and economic weight to make it so. But only if we are a party to 
the treaty. And to become a party to the treaty, the U.S. Senate must 
perform its constitutionally mandated function of debate and 
ratification before April 29.
  Mr. President, it is unfortunate that the Chemical Weapons Convention 
is being held hostage to other, unrelated, matters. Time is of the 
essence, Mr. President, and time is running out.
  In closing, this treaty should be fully and carefully debated by the 
U.S. Senate at the earliest possible date, not at the 11 hour when the 
clock is ticking on our ability to ensure that the United States is an 
active participant in future revisions to the CWC. The American people 
deserve no less.

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