On the recordDecember 1, 2010
I think it would be a serious mistake for us to leave Washington for the holiday season without voting on that treaty on the floor. This is a treaty which the President has worked on and which is supported by previous administrations, Democratic and Republican. It is an effort to reach an agreement with the Russians. It should be based on a premise that most Republicans applaud because it goes back to an earlier statement by President Reagan that we should 'trust but verify.' The fact is, for over 1 calendar year, we have not had any inspectors on the ground in Russia to verify the safety and treaty compliance of their nuclear weaponry. Senator Lugar, on that side of the aisle, a man whom I greatly respect, supports this treaty, and if there is one person in the Senate who is probably more expert than any other when it comes to this issue of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon control and modernization, it is Senator Lugar of Indiana. He supports this treaty and wants it to come forward.
