[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16388-16389]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    A COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, today is an anniversary that almost no one 
will recognize. It was 54 years ago today that the first nuclear 
explosion occurred at the Trinity Test Site in New Mexico. Mr. 
President, 54 years ago today we saw the first nuclear explosion on the 
face of the Earth. At that time, of course, we developed nuclear 
weapons because we were locked in a life and death struggle with the 
Axis powers. We developed nuclear weapons

[[Page 16389]]

to end the most destructive war the world had ever seen, the Second 
World War. We then got involved in a cold war with the Soviets and we 
saw the buildup of thousands and thousands of tactical and strategic 
nuclear weapons, warheads, and delivery vehicles.
  I want to tell you what President Dwight D. Eisenhower said towards 
the end of his term about the spread of nuclear weapons. He said not 
achieving a test ban--that is, a ban on the testing of nuclear 
weapons--``would have to be classified as the greatest disappointment 
of any administration of any decade of any time and of any party.'' 
That belief, expressed by President Eisenhower, was echoed by President 
John F. Kennedy, who stated that a comprehensive nuclear test ban would 
``increase our security; it would decrease the prospects of war.'' He 
said, ``Surely this goal is sufficiently important to require our 
steady pursuit.''
  That was the late 1950s and the early 1960s. We still do not have a 
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in force, but we are close. 
Almost 3 years ago, this country, the United States, along with over 
100 nations, signed a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The 
President sent that treaty to the Senate 662 days ago. What has 
happened? What has been done with that treaty? Nothing. Not a hearing. 
Not a minute, not an hour, not a day of hearings, not one hearing on 
the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
  The only way another country in this world who wants to develop 
nuclear weapons can have some guarantee that they have nuclear weapons 
that work is if they can test them. That is true of China; it is true 
of any other country. A test ban treaty in which this country provides 
leadership, signs and ratifies it, is a significant step towards 
removing the dangers of the proliferation of nuclear weapons around the 
world. We ought to do this. We ought to be able to do it soon.
  I used a chart on the floor of the Senate recently in which I showed 
the number of days it took to ratify treaties. No treaty that I am 
aware of languished here for over 600 days except this treaty.
  We have a responsibility to lead in this country with respect to this 
treaty, and we are not leading. This treaty is before the Senate. The 
committee has a responsibility to hold a hearing and give the Senate 
the opportunity to debate the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. 
There is precious little discussion about it. No one seems to know it 
is here. It has been here almost 2 years.
  Next week, several of my colleagues and I are going to hold a press 
conference to announce the results of a recent bipartisan poll that 
will demonstrate, once again, overwhelming support for this treaty. 
This chart shows the support all across this country from last year's 
poll. Overwhelmingly, the American people support a Comprehensive 
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
  It has been negotiated, it has been signed, but it has not been 
ratified. Why? Because it was sent to the Senate over 600 days ago and 
there has been no debate about it, no discussion of it to speak of, and 
there has not been 1 minute of hearings held on this treaty. This 
Senate ought to have the opportunity to debate and to vote on the 
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
  I reach back to President Eisenhower to make the case only because I 
want to demonstrate how long the desire for a Comprehensive Nuclear 
Test Ban Treaty has been around--decade after decade.
  Most recently, when India and Pakistan detonated nuclear weapons, 
virtually under each other's chins--and these are countries that do not 
like each other much--it should have sent a signal to all of us that we 
need to be concerned about the proliferation of nuclear weapons. How do 
we manifest concern? By expressing leadership. How do we express 
leadership? By bringing a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty that 
has been negotiated and signed before this body for ratification.
  I yield the floor.

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