Haley Stevens: “I am pleased to lend my voice to those of my colleagues supporting the passage of the treaty between the United States…”

“I am pleased to lend my voice to those of my colleagues supporting the passage of the treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on further reductions and limitations of strategic offensive arms, known more commonly as START II. The original START Treaty mandated United States and former Soviet Union reductions to 6,000 strategic offensive nuclear weapons incorporated in intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers. START II goes further by limiting each country to 3,500 accountable warheads on strategic offensive nuclear weapons on ballistic missiles, and nuclear weapons on bombers in each country. This is a reduction of one-third of the number of deployed nuclear weapons each country managed in 1990. START II significantly reduces the United States and Russian nuclear arsenal. I am satisfied that the treaty provides an inspection regime that will verify compliance with the treaty, and that the United States will continue to have a nuclear response capability appropriate for any possible future threat.”