Tony Thurmond: “we accept the amendment as modified, and urge the Senate to adopt this amendment. I state for the Record that this…”

“we accept the amendment as modified, and urge the Senate to adopt this amendment. I state for the Record that this amendment offered by the Senator from Michigan has been modified, and in accepting the amendment as modified, it is not the intention of the committee to predetermine the outcome of the Senate debate that will take place on advice and consent to ratification of these two treaties. The committee is merely stating that overall, if the treaties were to be ratified by all parties and fully implemented by all parties, it would be in the national security interests of all the signatories. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has not yet reported either the START II nor the Chemical Weapons Convention to the Senate. As a result, a full debate and examination of the treaties on the floor has not taken place. A number of concerns need to be fully aired with regard to ratification and implementation of these treaties when the Senate determines that it is time to provide its advice and consent to ratification.”