Russ Feingold: “only last week the Senate ratified the START II Treaty, putting us firmly back on the road to ending the threat of…”

“only last week the Senate ratified the START II Treaty, putting us firmly back on the road to ending the threat of nuclear annihilation. The next step is to bring to reality the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which would serve to put an end to the practice of testing weaponry which--we pray and can increasingly say with confidence--will never be put to use. This effort was seriously undermined by the French tests, and it has caused other nations to question the point and sincerity of the CTBT. While I harbor deep regrets about the effect of France's unwarranted tests, I want to say now to President Chirac, ``welcome aboard.'' We look forward to close cooperation with France in reaching the goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons, and will work to ensure that its series of tests will be the last ever conducted on the globe.”