On the recordDecember 19, 2010
I rise in support of the Risch amendment. The distinguished Senator from Massachusetts just helped make the case as to why this amendment is so important. In every hearing we have had in Armed Services and Intelligence, every conversation I have had in person, by telephone, with every administration official and everybody in support of this, I raised the issue of not what is in the treaty as being the most significant issue but what is not in there--the issue of tactical nuclear weapons. I hear what the Senator is saying. What he has reinforced to me is, we have been talking to the Russians about tactical weapons for over two decades, and we have not yet been able to get them to sit down at the table with us. If we don't get them now, when? I understand what the President said, which is that he will make a real effort to get them to the table. You should get them to the table when you have leverage. The Russians want this treaty bad. We had the opportunity, in my opinion, to discuss tactical weapons with them, to get them to the table for this treaty, but we didn't take the opportunity to do that.
