[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 125 (Thursday, September 23, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11354-S11355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, two years ago today, on September 23, 
1997, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was read for the first 
time and referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 
Unfortunately, instead of coming to the Senate floor to commend the 
Senate for ratifying the CTBT or for taking steps toward that end, I 
must come to point out the Senate has done absolutely nothing on CTBT. 
Not a hearing, not a vote. And I must confess up front, I do this with 
a sense of confusion, disappointment, and profound regret over the 
Republican majority's inaction on this important treaty since its 
submission to the Senate.
  The Republican majority's unwillingness to permit the Senate to take 
even a single step forward on a treaty to ban all nuclear testing has 
me and many observers confused for a variety of reasons. First, the 
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty has been enthusiastically and 
unequivocally endorsed by our senior military leaders, both current and 
former. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, 
General Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated 
``the Joint Chiefs of Staff support ratification of this treaty.'' The 
current chairman and fellow service chiefs are not alone in their 
support for CTBT. In fact, the four previous occupants of the 
chairman's seat have endorsed this treaty. Former Chairmen General John 
Shalikashvili, General Colin Powell, Admiral William Crowe, and General 
David Jones issued a statement on the treaty and the additional 
safeguards proposed by the President. Their statement concluded ``with 
these safeguards, we support Senate approval of the CTB treaty.''
  Second, several Presidents, both Republican and Democratic, have 
supported a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing. In fact, Presidents 
as far back as President Eisenhower have worked to make this 
prohibition a reality. On May 29, 1961, President Eisenhower said the 
failure to achieve a test ban ``would have to be classed as the 
greatest disappointment of any administration, of any decade, of any 
party.'' Similar statements have been made by Presidents in every 
subsequent decade. And if this Congress fails to act, Presidents in the 
next millennium unfortunately will be uttering comparable remarks.
  Third, the overwhelming majority of the American people, 
approximately 82 percent, have indicated they endorse immediate Senate 
approval of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Although opponents of 
the treaty argue support is limited to just Democrats or liberals, 
opinion polls point to a different conclusion. CTBT support spans the 
entire political spectrum. For example, among those who identify 
themselves as Republicans, 80 percent support the treaty and 79 percent 
of those who characterize themselves as ``conservative Republicans'' 
believe the Senate should ratify the CTBT. As far as geographic 
limitations, the polls show CTBT support knows no boundaries. From 
coast to coast and all points in between, the vast majority of 
Americans support this treaty. Let me provide the Senate with a few 
examples that back up this statement. In Tennessee, 78 percent support 
the treaty. In Kansas, 79 percent. In Washington, 82 percent. In 
Oregon, 83 percent. The story is similar in every other state in the 
Union.
  With these facts as a backdrop, I think it is easy to understand why 
I and many others are confused that, in the two years since the 
President submitted the CTBT treaty, the Republicans have chosen to do 
nothing. CTBT is vigorously endorsed by our most senior military 
leaders, past and present. Senate Republicans are unmoved. Republican 
and Democratic Presidents since Eisenhower have strongly backed the 
CTBT. Yet, Senate Republicans choose to do nothing. Finally, over 80 
percent of our constituents, from all parts of the political spectrum 
and all regions of the country, have asked us to ratify the CTBT.

[[Page S11355]]

And the response of Senate Republicans? Not a hearing, not a vote. 
Nothing but silence and inaction.
  I mentioned at the outset that I am also disappointed by the course 
Senate Republicans have pursued. The reason for my disappointment is 
that Senate Republicans have permitted a small number of members from 
within their ranks to manipulate Senate rules and procedures to prevent 
the Senate from acting on the CTBT. I recognize these few members are 
well within their rights as Senators to use the rules in this manner. 
Under Senate rules, a small group can thwart or delay action on even 
the most vital pieces of legislation. This has been proven time and 
again since the Senate's founding. In more recent times, we have seen 
the same handful of Senators on the far right of the political spectrum 
repeatedly resort to these tactics to prevent the Senate from acting 
expeditiously on arms control treaties.
  However, in many of these previous instances, a number of Republicans 
eventually decided to call an end to the political gamesmanship of 
their more conservative colleagues. They decided that this nation's 
national interests superseded the political interests of a few Senators 
at the far end of the political spectrum. They decided that the full 
Senate should be allowed to work its will on matters of national 
security. In short, they decided that politics stopped at the water's 
edge. I am disappointed that in this particular instance, two years 
have elapsed and I see no such movement within the Republican caucus. 
Two years is too long. I would hope we would soon see some leadership 
on the Republican side of the aisle to break the current impasse and 
allow the full Senate to act on the CTBT.
  Finally, I also indicated I deeply regret the Senate's failure to 
act. While waiting for the United States Senate to ratify the CTBT, we 
have seen nearly 40 other nations do so. We have witnessed two 
additional countries test nuclear weapons while the intelligence 
community tells us several others continue developing such weapons. And 
in a few short weeks, we will observe the nations that have ratified 
the treaty convene a conference to discuss how to facilitate the 
treaty's entry into force --a conference that limits participation only 
to those nations that have ratified the treaty. If the United States is 
to play a leadership role on nuclear testing, convince others to forgo 
nuclear testing, and actively participate in efforts to implement the 
treaty, the United States Senate must exercise some leadership itself 
and give the CTBT a fair hearing and a vote. That effort must begin 
today.

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