William Helms: “I listened in amazement to some of the statements being made today about a nonexistent treaty. The treaty before us I…”

“I listened in amazement to some of the statements being made today about a nonexistent treaty. The treaty before us I understand, but I do not understand the descriptions that some are indicating that they believe are accurate. Furthermore, I was astonished at the number of companies that will be required to provide annual business information and undergo routine annual inspections under this arms control treaty, and that is what it is, an arms control treaty. The Chemical Weapons Convention, so-called, will affect companies engaged in coke, coal, steel production, mining, crop protection, fertilizers, paper production, wood preservation, chlorine manufacturing, color pigments, paint, ink, die stuff production, speciality coatings, powder and roof coatings, plating and packaging, compressed gas, cosmetics, toiletries and fragrances, drug chemicals manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, plastics, textiles, custom chemicals, food, wine, beer, processing and electronics, among others. The list I just read, as long as it is, is not all of them. So anybody sitting in television land listening to this conversation in the Senate today, I suggest, as the saying goes, wake up and smell the coffee and give some thought about what is going to happen to the business community if, as and when this treaty is ratified. It is not an ethereal thing that is floating through the air, dropping little rose petals, it is something that can bollix this country up.”