On the recordSeptember 21, 2010
I had hoped we could begin consideration of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, today but, hopefully, we will consider it as our first business when we reconvene after the election. I filed three amendments that deserve serious consideration by the Senate, two of them dealing with the New START treaty. It is important to deal with these amendments before consideration of the treaty. Amendments Nos. 4636 and 4638 deal with modernization of the U.S. nuclear deterrent, which is directly related to the reductions called for by the treaty; and, the Bilateral Consultative Commission, of which much has been written concerning the implications for the Senate's prerogatives in the treaty making function. Amendment No. 4637 deals with a matter of great concern, China's reckless disregard for the international nonproliferation regime.
