Thomas Daschle: “earlier today Senator McConnell suggested on the Senate floor that the President's trip to Moscow has been a wasted…”

“earlier today Senator McConnell suggested on the Senate floor that the President's trip to Moscow has been a wasted effort--that there has not been a shred of progress made there. I do not want anyone who may have been listening to that statement to be misled by it, for, in my view, it simply is not accurate. It is important to review the reasons President Clinton went to Moscow and to assess his trip to Moscow--which is not yet over--with those goals in mind. The President went to Moscow to honor the sacrifices of the Russian people to defeat the Nazis and fascism in World War II. Russians lost approximately 20 million people in that war--more than any other Nation. With the end of the cold war, this is the United States first opportunity to convey our appreciation. Our policy's to seek better relations not only with the Russian Government, but with the Russian people as well to help democracy take root there. The President also went to Moscow to pursue discussion on key issues. The United States expectations were low, and our progress has exceeded those expectations.”