ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:95120608.WWE
DATE:12/06/95
TITLE:06-12-95 DEMOCRATS URGE SENATE VOTE ON START II BEFORE END OF YEAR
TEXT:
(Text: Letter to Dole from 37 Democratic senators) (800)
Washington -- Thirty-seven Democratic senators have written Senate
Majority Leader Bob Dole urging him to allow a ratification vote on
the START II Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Convention before the end
of 1995.
"Both treaties are overdue for Senate consideration," the letter said.
It reminded Dole that in 1993, he cosponsored a Senate resolution
commending President Bush on conclusion of the START II treaty and
pledging action on it at "the earliest possible moment.
The letter also pointed out that the Chemical Weapons Convention "has
a tough and intrusive verification regime which will be an effective
tool in promoting compliance by Russia and other nations."
Following is the text of the letter:
(Begin text)
December 5, 1995
The Honorable Robert Dole
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington. D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Leader:
We are writing to ask for your leadership in securing Senate action on
the START II Treaty and on the Chemical Weapons Convention before the
end of the year. The Senate should promptly exercise its
constitutional obligation to advise and consent to the ratification of
these treaties, which will greatly enhance our national security. Both
treaties have been fully reviewed by the relevant Senate committees
and have strong bipartisan support.
On February 2, 1993, you cosponsored Senate Resolution 54, commending
President Bush on the conclusion of the START II Treaty. That
resolution stated that the Senate "intends to take up the Treaty at
the earliest possible moment in pursuit of its constitutional duty to
advise and consent to the ratification of treaties."
On September 5, 1995, the Senate adopted an amendment to the Defense
Authorization Bill expressing the sense of the Senate that the United
States should "promptly ratify and fully implement" the START II
Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), along with other
parties to the treaties.
Both treaties are overdue for Senate consideration, and we seek your
assistance in scheduling START II and then the CWC for consideration
before the Senate adjourns for the year.
START II will continue the process begun by START I of making deep
reductions in Russian nuclear warheads. It will require Russia to
reduce its deployed warheads from a level of over 8,000 to 3,000-3,500
by the year 2003. The treaty will eliminate all Russian heavy
inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and all multiple-warhead
ICBMs, two longstanding U.S. goals. This will further reduce the
nuclear threat to the U.S. and also~ advance U.S. non-proliferation
interests.
Prom~pt U.S. ratification of START II will also encourage Russia to
complete its own START II ratification efforts in a timely manner.
These goals are clearly in our national interest and merit expeditious
action, as your resolution suggested.
The Chemical Weapons Convention is based largely on the treaty text
which was submitted by then-Vice President George Bush to the
Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in April 1984. First as vice
president and later as president, George Bush took a very personal
interest in the negotiation and conclusion of this convention. It was
signed by his Secretary of State, Lawrence Eagleburger, just days
before President Bush left office.
President Bush's commitment to the CWC and to fighting the
proliferation of chemical weapons received strong and active
bipartisan support from the Congress and from the American chemical
industry. Last year, President Bush wrote to friends in the Senate in
support of prompt ratification (see attached copy).
The CWC will ban a complete class of weapons of mass destruction, one
which has been repugnant to all civilized people ever since its first
use in battle during World War I. The Convention's non-proliferation
provisions will make it harder and more costly for proliferators and
terrorists to acquire chemical weapons by, among other things,
restricting trade in dual-use chemicals that could be used to make
chemical warfare agents.
The Convention has a tough and intrusive verification regime which
will be an effective tool in promoting compliance by Russia and other
nations. Under the CWC's challenge inspection provisions, for example,
the United States will be able to request short-notice inspections of
any site suspected of a treaty violation.
Nine hearings have been held on the CWC by the Foreign Relations
Committee, Armed Services Committee, and Select Committee on
Intelligence. These hearings, which responded exhaustively to issues
raised by the Senate, give us confidence that this treaty is one which
will be effective in reducing the threat to our soldiers and citizens
alike of being exposed to these deadly and horrific weapons.
We urge you to schedule both these treaties for Senate consideration
at the earliest possible opportunity, and certainly during the first
session of the 104th Congress.
(End text)
NNNN
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
