Kay Bailey Hutchison: “One other point that I think is important. The Senator from Georgia was very instrumental in negotiating the language…”

“One other point that I think is important. The Senator from Georgia was very instrumental in negotiating the language that we put in our authorization bill regarding the missile defense capabilities that the United States would have and how that relates to the ABM Treaty that we have with Russia, and it also affects the START Treaty, which is being looked at for ratification by the Duma, the Russian Duma at this time. I think those are very important issues, along with the nuclear warheads that are still in Russia. All of those are issues that I think must be looked at as we determine how our relationship with Russia and the impact that NATO expansion and the way we do it has. As the Senator from Georgia mentioned, there will be no Russian veto of NATO expansion. But as we move along, we can certainly make this decision in the right way that keeps our ability to negotiate with Russia on any changes in the ABM Treaty, on ratification of the START Treaty, those things that are very important to our security as well as their security and the security of Eastern Europe.”