[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15516-15517]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            NEW START TREATY

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for 
START, the nuclear arms reduction treaty pending before the Senate.
  This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on which I have 
the privilege of serving, will convene to vote on this New START 
Treaty. Since the treaty was signed by the United States and Russia in 
April, both the Foreign Relations and the Armed Services Committees 
have conducted more than a dozen hearings, both open and classified, to 
examine the essential goal of this treaty: to advance the national 
security of the United States.
  After hours of testimony from some of the most knowledgeable people 
in and out of government, as well as public statements of support from 
countless experts, we can say with great confidence that the Senate's 
ratification of the START Treaty is in our national interest.
  Witnesses who testified before the committee come from wide 
backgrounds of the government, academia, and private industry. Former 
government officials, both civilian and military, who have held 
positions of the highest responsibility for our national defense and 
nuclear security--including former Republican administration officials 
who had negotiated and implemented previous START treaties--were among 
those who testified and called for the treaty's speedy ratification.
  All have been experts, with years, if not decades, of experience in 
the field of national security and arms control, and all have strongly 
endorsed ratification of the treaty.
  In addition to its contribution to America's security, one of the 
most compelling reasons for the full Senate to ratify this treaty, and 
move quickly to do so, is to regain our insight into Russia's strategic 
offensive arms. Since START I expired last December, we have had no 
comprehensive verification regime in place to help us understand 
Russia's strategic nuclear forces.

[[Page 15517]]

  We need the transparency to know what Russia is doing to provide 
confidence and stability, and we need that confidence and stability to 
contribute to a safer world. We will only regain that transparency by 
ratifying this treaty, and we are in dangerous territory without it.
  Previous arms control treaties have been ratified with overwhelming 
bipartisan support. START I was passed 93 to 6 in 1994, and the Moscow 
Treaty passed 95 to 0 in 2003. Legislators recognized then that an arms 
control agreement between Russia and the United States is not just good 
for the security of our two nations but can lead the way for the rest 
of the world to reduce the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The 
ratification of this treaty reconfirms U.S. leadership on nuclear arms 
reduction and nonproliferation.
  Over the past several months we have had ample time to review the 
documents and reports related to the treaty. I am sure my colleagues 
will join me in recognizing the necessity of ratifying New START. Not 
only will this treaty enhance the national security of the United 
States, it will serve as a significant step forward in our relationship 
with Russia, a key partner in the overall U.S. strategy to reduce the 
spread of nuclear weapons worldwide. I am glad to offer my support in 
the Foreign Relations Committee and look forward to the full Senate's 
ratification of this treaty as soon as possible.
  Mr. President, with that, I yield the floor.

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