Political Quotes

“I think this debate is about the easiest debate the Senate can face. There is one simple reason to support the Specter amendment, of which I am a cosponsor, and the U.S. contribution to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Preparatory Commission. It is real simple. It is in the national security interest of the United States. I reiterate what the Senator from Pennsylvania said. This is true whether or not you favor the test ban treaty or oppose it. Most of the funding requested for the Preparatory Commission is to be devoted to capital expenditures on the international monitoring system, the ability to monitor. Improving our nuclear test monitoring capabilities is clearly of benefit to the United States--again, whether you are for or against this treaty--as well as to the benefit of the world community. The recent nuclear weapons tests in India and Pakistan are a stark reminder of the importance of monitoring. The international monitoring system should improve the seismic monitoring of nuclear tests in India and Pakistan by nearly a full order of magnitude.”