Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, this is a historic day in the House of Representatives as we consider an amendment that is bipartisan, co-sponsored by my colleagues the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry), the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt). Mr. Chairman, this is a historic amendment and a historic day because this body is rising in a bipartisan voice to support the leadership of the President of the United States and the President of Russia to begin a new era in nuclear cooperation. The amendment before us today has eight specific thrusts in opening up the transparency between the American and the Russian nuclear program. It calls for American scientists to be allowed to visit Novaya Zemlya, the underground test site in Russia, and for Russian scientists to visit our sites in Nevada. It calls for joint cooperation in conferences on ways to monitor our nuclear stockpiles. It calls for joint visits and conferences to discuss the safety and security of our nuclear weapons. It calls for a joint commission on non-proliferation, a joint commission on cooperation on missile defense. This program puts this body on record with a bipartisan vote that we, in fact, support the new vision of President Bush and President Putin.”