I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to respond, if I might, to some of these issues. One of the issues General Chilton, the Stratcom commander, I think testified to was an assumption there would be nobody cheating. As I said…

Mr. President, I say to the Senator from Massachusetts, we do have others who want to speak, not only on this amendment but also on the amendment of the Senator from Oklahoma. These, as I said, are very significant, substantive amendments…

Mr. President, I say to the Senator from Massachusetts, we are prepared to debate. The Senator from Oklahoma wants to talk at length about the verification issue. I do not think we are prepared at this point to enter into a time agreement…

For those watching this debate who may be unfamiliar with some of the terminology used in these arms control treaties such as the term ``delivery vehicles,'' it is important to understand that delivery vehicles simply means the nuclear…

Mr. President, I wish to speak to an amendment I have pending at the desk, but before I do that, I wish to make some general observations as well about where we are with regard to this process because there has been a lot said about…

Madam President, I will make a couple quick points before we vote on the delivery vehicle amendment, and the first one is this because it has been observed that this would impact Prompt Global Strike. The supporters of the treaty have said…

I also request the yeas and nays on the Inhofe amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk call the roll.

Madam President, to answer the question of the Senator from Michigan, that I believe to be the case. It is not proscriptive. All I am simply saying is if you make an assumption that you are going to take the additional 20 delivery vehicles…

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Oklahoma for yielding some time. We are going to vote on his amendment and on the amendment I have offered. Both address important subjects in the treaty. The Senator from Oklahoma is dealing with…

I ask unanimous consent to have a couple minutes to summarize a couple points. I had 5 minutes which I think just got burned. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with, and that we resume consideration of the Inhofe amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The amendment is as follows…

Mr. President, I ask that the pending Inhofe amendment be set aside in order to call up my amendment No. 4841. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report. The assistant legislative…

Mr. President, I wish to speak to the START treaty, more specifically to the McCain-Barrasso amendment which is the amendment that is currently under consideration and on which we will vote later this afternoon. I want to point out at the…

I would also simply say, again, that I do not think you can have it both ways. You cannot say that this means nothing, and at the same time that it means everything. If it is a throwaway, some language that does not mean anything, that is…

Madam President, I too want to rise in strong support of the McCain-Barrasso amendment to strike language from the preamble of this treaty to link strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms. This language in the preamble is…

Madam President, the Nation's attention is fixed firmly on this travesty of an omnibus trillion-dollar appropriations bill which we should be debating now because the current funding resolution for the government ends tomorrow. We should…

I thank the Senator from Illinois for locking in the time. I want to start by saying here we are, jammed against the Christmas break with the majority using Christmas as a backstop to rush through an arms control treaty with the Russians…

Madam President, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.