Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am grateful to be joined by Senator Kaufman after me. Almost two decades after the end of the Cold War, the United States and Russia maintain more than 90 percent--90 percent--of the world's total stockpile of 23,000 nuclear weapons. Each of these weapons has the capacity to destroy a city, and a large-scale nuclear exchange could extinguish most life on this planet. As you are aware, massive numbers of nuclear weapons increase the risk of catastrophic accidents, errors, or unauthorized use. There is a serious imperative in the United States to address this issue. The United States--and especially this administration--has rightly focused on nuclear nonproliferation as a top priority. In his Prague speech, the President of the United States, President Obama, said: As long as these weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defense to our allies. But we will begin the work of reducing our arsenal. So I think it is important to note that the President used a number of important words there: ``safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary.'' But he also said we have responsibilities. The first test of that commitment is the new START agreement. In October, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: [T]he United States is interested in a new START agreement because it will bolster our national security.…”