Political Quotes

“I am pleased to support the approval by the Senate of the New START treaty. On December 16, I joined Senators Inouye, Feinstein and Alexander in a letter to President Obama to express my support for ratification of the treaty and funding for the modernization of our nuclear weapons arsenal. At the time, I was concerned that this might not be taken seriously as a long-term commitment. The President has responded to our request and assured me that nuclear modernization is a priority for his administration and that he will request funding for these programs and capabilities as long as he is in office. I appreciate his commitment to this long-term investment. The treaty before us is not perfect. Many of our colleagues have brought forth ideas and offered amendments that will help address concerns about the treaty. I share concerns about missile defense, tactical nuclear weapons, and limits on delivery vehicles, but I cannot deny the potential national security consequences of not ratifying the New START treaty.”