[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5040-5041]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        SANDIA LABORATORY INTERNATIONAL ARMS CONTROL CONFERENCE

 Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, this week marks the tenth 
anniversary of the International Arms Control Conference hosted by 
Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I extend my 
congratulations to Dr. Paul Robinson, Director of Sandia Laboratory for 
his support for this unique international conference that draws 
hundreds of technical and policy experts from all over the world each 
year.

[[Page 5041]]

  It is particularly important at this time in history to recognize 
this Conference here in the Senate. The conclusion of the Cold War has 
offered the United States and the nations of the world an historic 
opportunity to increase security in the international system through 
seeking cooperative measures that would establish international 
standards of behavior useful for improving global security. When the 
Senate voted to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997, I am 
pleased to say, this nation acted in a committed and positive way to 
capitalize on the opportunity we have been afforded.
  Events in the past two years, however, have brought America to a 
crossroads with respect to the future of arms control. The Senate 
recently voted to reject the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, a treaty 
signed by 155 countries, that would have established an international 
standard permanently banning the testing of nuclear weapons in order to 
combat the spread of nuclear weapons. I deeply regret that vote by the 
Senate, Mr. President, and am committed to find a way to achieve the 
goal for which that treaty was negotiated.
  Meanwhile, the Russian Duma continues its on again off again 
consideration of the START II Treaty to reduce the number of strategic 
weapons in our respective arsenals of nuclear weapons. To date, they 
have taken no action. Each time a vote in the Duma approaches, an event 
occurs that postpones its consideration of this important treaty that 
would reduce the nuclear threat between Russia and the United States 
and, indeed, to the world as a whole.
  Many Russian officials have observed that no further progress in 
reducing nuclear arsenals is possible if the United States chooses to 
abrogate the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty which restricts the 
ability of the United States and Russia to deploy national missile 
defense systems. Many experts and public officials in the U.S., 
however, have concluded that the missile threat from rogue governments 
is sufficiently real that the U.S. should move forward on deploying a 
missile defense regardless of its impact on strategic relations between 
Russia and the United States. The President, however, in signing the 
National Missile Defense Act, indicated that before deciding to deploy 
a national missile defense system, he would assess the potential impact 
of such a decision on arms control regimes that support our national 
security. The nation awaits a decision that could occur this summer.
  While this critical decision lies ahead, U.S. negotiators have been 
meeting with their Russian counterparts to explore a potential 
agreement that could permit the U.S. to modify the ABM Treaty in a way 
that would not threaten the strategic balance between the two 
countries. The outcome of those negotiations is far from certain. The 
issues that are involved are complex, and extend beyond the dyadic 
relations between the United States and Russia. Other nuclear powers, 
notably China, are watching those negotiations very closely to 
determine appropriate policy directions regarding their own nuclear 
strategy and arsenal.
  As the U.S. and Russia examine the thorny, complex issues involving 
the relationship between offensive and defensive strategic arms, and 
nations of the world consider the Senate's vote against the CTBT, the 
world nevertheless remains committed to preventing the proliferation of 
nuclear weapons through the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear 
Weapons (NPT). That Treaty, ratified by 187 countries, recently 
celebrated its 30th anniversary. In 1995, the states parties to that 
treaty voted to extend its provisions indefinitely. Later this month, 
the Sixth Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference will take place in 
New York. Given the events in South Asia during the past year, and the 
vote on CTBT in the Senate this winter, the Review Conference will be a 
very important convocation at which all states parties, including the 
U.S., will be called on to reaffirm their commitment to the provisions 
of the NPT.
  Given these current conditions in the international environment, it 
is indeed timely and vital that efforts such as the International Arms 
Control Conference hosted by Sandia Laboratory take place. The meetings 
and dialogues that occur at this Conference have provided important 
understanding among the international community on major arms control 
issues and I am confident will continue to do so as long as the world 
seeks to improve security through cooperation.
  I salute Sandia, and in particular, Dr. Jim Brown, who founded the 
Conference ten years ago and has faithfully served as its organizer and 
driving force during the past decade. If the nations of the world will 
be able to build upon cooperative understandings reached through arms 
control agreements, it will be because of the efforts of people such as 
Dr. Brown, who has devoted a career toward that goal. I extend my best 
wishes to conference participants and urge them to work hard to build a 
safer tomorrow for all of us.

                          ____________________