Asa Hutchinson: “I rise today to voice my serious reservations about the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty. The most important standards…”

“I rise today to voice my serious reservations about the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty. The most important standards for an effective treaty are: Verifiability, protection to the signatories, constitutionality, and the applicability to nations of most concern. I sincerely believe that the CWC falls short in each of these basic requirements. On April 8, 1997 three former Secretaries of Defense appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urging Senators to vote against the ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This fact alone should give this body great pause in the consideration of this treaty. I know that there are good, there are loyal, and there are patriotic Americans on both sides of this issue of ratifying the Chemical Weapons Convention. I have many constituents who have called me, and said, ``Senator, how do we know? We hear former Secretaries of Defense saying it is a bad treaty. We hear Colin Powell saying it is a good treaty. Today we hear former Senator Dole saying we need to ratify this. How do we know?'' I believe that it is simply our responsibility as Senators, respecting the differences that exist, to study this, to evaluate it, and to make a reasoned judgment. I believe also when our national security is at risk that we must always opt on the side of caution in consideration of a treaty such as we have before us.”