Political Quotes

“This amendment does not require or even foresee the need for the United States to begin testing nuclear weapons in the near future. What it does is put the United States on a level footing with the other signatory nations to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, or the CTBT. This amendment does nothing more than provide the President with the ability to resume testing if and only if he deems that the supreme national interest dictates such action. So what does this amendment do and what does it not do? It does not undermine ongoing CTBT negotiations. It does not require the United States to resume testing. It does not even encourage the resumption of testing. It does place four additional requirements on the President that must be met before testing could be reinitiated, four additional requirements. This amendment also clarifies a discrepancy between existing U.S. law and the treaty language regarding what is and what is not considered to be a nuclear test. Without this clarification, the treaty, when signed, would be in conflict with U.S. law. This amendment also gives the President authority that he says he needs to ensure our national defense.”