Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=5-20-03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=CONGRESS NUCLEAR (L ONLY)

NUMBER=2-303450

BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE

DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The Republican-led Senate, over objections by Democrats, has voted to end a decade-old ban on research and development of low-yield nuclear weapons. Correspondent Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

TEXT: In a procedural vote, the Senate voted down (51-43) a Democratic amendment to a defense authorization bill that would keep the ban in place.

Democratic opponents, including Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, said lifting the ban would undermine U-S efforts to persuade other nations notably North Korea - not to develop their own nuclear weapons.

/// LEVIN ACTUALITY ///

We are telling others not to go down the road to nuclear weapons. But instead of being a leader in the effort to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, we would be recklessly driving down that same road. In short, the United States should not follow a policy that we do not tolerate in others.

/// END ACT ///

But Republican Senator John Ensign of Nevada argued otherwise:

/// ENSIGN ACTUALITY ///

Maintaining a strong research and development capability will more likely assure our allies and dissuade and deter our adversaries.

/// END ACT ///

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld earlier Tuesday urged Congress to lift the ban, saying low-yield nuclear weapons could be useful in destroying stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons.

Low-yield nuclear weapons have a blast equivalent of less than five kilotons, about a third as large as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima (Japan) in World War Two.

The House has yet to vote on the measure.

Both the Senate and House are expected to vote this week on the overall bill that would authorize 400 billion dollars in defense programs for next year. (signed)

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