"I don't want to just do this and go through the motions of doing this and pretend that conditions are the same as they were when we started."
"To me, the most important function of a government is to defend itself, and I'm very, very troubled by this."
"We are going to do what is necessary to protect the American people, not only from Russians... but also that we are going to do everything we can to defensively protect ourselves from rogue nations."
"The United States is better off with this treaty than without it."
"I think that it's a really, really good thing to have this treaty."
"the modernization that you've been pursuing is absolutely critical."
"It's unrealistic to believe that our treaty with Russia is going to reduce proliferation with countries like Iran and Syria."
"I agree with Secretary of Defense Bob Gates when he wrote, last week in the Wall Street Journal, that the new treaty provides verification that has been needed since START I expired in December."
"It is also important that we maintain a nuclear stockpile that would allow the United States to adequately cover the 30-or-so countries allied with us around the world that are currently under our nuc..."
"I am confident that the New START Treaty will in no way compromise America's nuclear deterrent."
"Are we better off with this, or are we better off without it?"