Thomas Daschle: “I congratulate Senators Lugar and Biden on their efforts on this treaty. In their new roles as chairman and ranking…”

“I congratulate Senators Lugar and Biden on their efforts on this treaty. In their new roles as chairman and ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, they have gotten off to an impressive start. By holding a series of hearings on pressing foreign policy questions, including the looming war in Iraq, they have helped every Member of this body and every American. In addition, they have taken the Moscow treaty, a treaty that came to us with perhaps more questions than answers, and added some definition. Their collective labors on behalf of this treaty demonstrate what bipartisanship leadership on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can accomplish. This treaty represents a positive step forward by calling on the United States and Russia to reduce their operational strategic nuclear weapons. But it is a step long overdue. Many in this body felt these kinds of cuts were possible years ago. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts for much of the last decade, Republican opposition prevented us from implementing the kind of cuts this treaty now recommends. To ensure that we derive the maximum security benefit possible from this treaty, the Administration will have to fill in a number of important holes. Though the administration has assured us that some nuclear warheads will be dismantled, the treaty itself does not require the destruction of any Russian or American nuclear warheads.”