Mike Levin: “Section 238 does establish the dividing line between long-range and short-range missiles. It does it unilaterally, it…”

“Section 238 does establish the dividing line between long-range and short-range missiles. It does it unilaterally, it does it in law. The reason that that is inappropriate is these are the subject of negotiations now, should be the subject of negotiations. If the Duma established a range of 4,000 kilometers for a short-range missile, I think the Senator from Virginia would be on his feet saying, ``What, the Russian legislative body is unilaterally determining what is a short-range system and they said 4,000 kilometers? What is going on? We thought this was the subject of negotiations, this is bad faith. You have a Russian legislative body unilaterally saying 4,000 kilometers?'' Yes, we should not be establishing in law--in law--the demarcation line between the two when two things are true: One is the subject of ongoing negotiations and two, and this is critically important, is that General Shalikashvili told us that the absence of a demarcation line, having been agreed to, is not a constraint on the research and development of the theater missiles that we all support. In other words, it is not constraining us.…”