    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [October 9, 1999]
    [Pages 1741-1742]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    October 9, 1999

        Good morning. On Tuesday the Senate plans to vote on whether to
    ratify the nuclear test ban treaty. Today I want to emphasize why this
    agreement is critical to the security and future of all Americans.
        Just imagine a world in which more and more countries obtained
    nuclear weapons and more and more destructive varieties. That may be the
    single greatest threat to our children's future. And the single best way
    to reduce it is to stop other countries from testing nuclear explosives
    in the first place. That's exactly what the test ban treaty will do.
        The treaty is even more essential today than it was when President
    Eisenhower proposed it more than 40 years ago, or when President Kennedy
    pursued it. It's more essential even than when we signed it 3 years ago,
    because every year the threat grows that nuclear weapons will spread in
    the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and Asia, to areas where American
    troops are deployed, to regions with intense rivalries, to rogue
    leaders, and perhaps even to terrorists.
        The test ban treaty gives us our best chance to control this threat.
    A hundred and fifty-four countries have already signed it, including
    Russia, China, Japan, Israel, Iran, and all our European allies. Many
    nations have already ratified it, including 11 of our NATO Allies,
    including nuclear powers France and Britain. But for 2 years after I
    submitted the treaty to the Senate for ratification, there had been
    absolutely no action.
        Now, only a week has been allotted to consider it. That is
    especially disturbing since the issue has been politicized, apparently
    with large numbers of Republican Senators committing to their leader to
    vote against it without even giving the issue serious consideration or
    hearing the arguments.
        Now, a week is not enough time for an issue of this profound
    importance. That's why I've said I want to see the vote postponed so we
    can have a thorough debate that addresses all the legitimate concerns.
        The stakes are high. If our Senate rejected this treaty outright, it
    would be the first time the Senate has rejected a treaty since the
    Treaty of Versailles, which established the League of Nations after
    World War I. We all know what America's walking away from the world
    after World War I brought us: in the Depression and the Second World
    War. If our Senate rejected this treaty, it would be a dangerous U-turn
    away from our role as the world's leader against the spread of nuclear
    weapons. It would say to every country in the world, ``Well, the United
    States isn't going to test, but we're giving all of you a green light to
    test, develop, and deploy nuclear weapons.''
        Last year rival nuclear explosions by India and Pakistan shook the
    world. Now both countries have indicated their willingness to sign the
    test ban treaty. But if our Senate defeats it, can we convince India and
    Pakistan to forgo more tests? America has been the world's leader

    [[Page 1742]]

    against the proliferation of nuclear weapons for more than four decades.
    If our Senate defeats it, we won't be anymore. If our Senate defeats it,
    what will prevent China, Russia, or others from testing and deploying
    new and ever more destructive weapons?
        Some oppose the treaty because they say we still need to test
    nuclear weapons ourselves to make sure they're reliable. But this week
    32 American Nobel Prize-winning physicists and other leading scientists
    told the Senate that America doesn't need to test more nuclear weapons
    to keep a safe and reliable nuclear force. After all, we stopped testing
    back in 1992. And now we're spending about $4\1/2\ billion a year on
    proven programs, using our advanced technology to maintain a superior
    nuclear force without testing. Since we don't need nuclear tests to
    protect our security, this treaty does not require us to do anything we
    haven't already done.
        It's about preventing other countries from nuclear testing; about
    constraining nuclear weapons development around the world, at a time
    when we have an overwhelming advantage.
        I've told the Senate I would be prepared to withdraw from this
    treaty if our national security ever required us to resume nuclear tests
    in the future. And I've urged them to work with me to include safeguards
    in their ratification act, as they normally do.
        Some also say these treaties are too risky because some people might
    cheat on them. But with no treaty, other countries can test without
    cheating and without limit. The treaty will strengthen our ability to
    determine whether other countries are engaged in suspicious activity.
    With onsite inspections and a global network of over 300 sensors,
    including 33 in Russia, 11 in China, 17 in the Middle East, we could
    catch cheaters and mobilize the world against them. None of that will
    happen if we don't ratify the treaty.
        That's why four former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the
    current Chairman have all endorsed the
    nuclear test ban treaty. So have a broad spectrum of religious leaders
    and many other leading Americans, both Republicans and Democrats.
        So I say to the Senators who haven't endorsed it, heed the best
    national security advice of our military leaders. Hear our allies who
    are looking to us to lead. Listen to the scientists. Listen to the
    American people who have long supported the treaty. And since you're not
    prepared for whatever reason to seize the priceless chance to fulfill
    the dream of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy for a safer world, delay
    the vote on the treaty, debate it thoroughly, and work with us on a
    bipartisan basis to address legitimate concerns. And then you'll be able
    to vote yes for our country and our children's future.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:06 a.m. from the Lake Michigan Room at
    the Hilton Towers in Chicago, IL.