Jim Inhofe: “I couldn't have said it as well as the Senator from Missouri. This is the John S. McCain reauthorization bill and…”

“I couldn't have said it as well as the Senator from Missouri. This is the John S. McCain reauthorization bill and obviously he is deserving of much more than that. Amendment No. 2842 Since we are going to have the votes in just a few minutes--two votes--let me make a couple of comments, and then I will yield to the Senator from Rhode Island. I believe the first vote we are going to have is going to be the Reed amendment, and I do oppose it. This amendment would require congressional authorization for the development of nuclear weapons for one simple reason we already require. Congress is already required to authorize the development of nuclear weapons in each year's authorization and appropriations bill. The debate is not really about the authorization; it is about the ``Nuclear Posture Review.'' The ``Nuclear Posture Review'' calls for the United States to develop a low-yield nuclear capability, which some in Congress are against. That is fine. That is what this vote is on. We should debate it. We have debated it in the past, certainly in our committee we have, and that is the reason it is on the committee and would have to be taken off on the floor, if that is the desire of the majority of Members. That is not my desire. That is what we did. The Armed Services Committee considered an amendment to limit low- yield authorization, debate its merits, and voted it down by a bipartisan vote of 16 to 11. There is certainly support for it. Let's be clear.…”