Today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the New START Treaty resolution of ratification by a vote of 14 – 4.

The results indicate bi-partisan support for the treaty, with three Republicans voting for the Treaty: Richard Lugar (R-IN), Bob Corker (R-TN) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA). Three Republicans voted for the treaty and four against, with one Senator missing the vote.

To get there, the Senate considered a number of declarations, understandings and conditions during a session broken up by the need to head to the Senate floor for votes and negotiations over one tricky amendment.

After supportive statements by Chairman Kerry and ranking member Lugar, the mark-up session began well when Senator Isakson expressed concern over missile defense, nuclear modernization and verification, but said he would vote for the treaty.

Corker, who also voted for the treaty, said that while he would vote “aye,” there was a need to formalize the modernization plan before a floor vote. He noted a letter from Vice President Biden yesterday on the subject.

Sen. James Risch (R-ID) tossed a temporary road-block into the proceedings by bringing up a new secret Intelligence Community report sent to the Senate in the last 24 – 48 hours that he said included troubling information. Kerry replied that the information in no way altered judgment on the New START treaty. Because it was classified, it was impossible to determine the relevance or importance of the report.

Provisions offered by Senators:

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) offered a provision to strike language in the preamble to the treaty on missile defense, but lost 6 – 12 (vote totalsare accurate or close to accurate). Sen. Kerry pointed out that the provision would require the renegotiation of the treaty and that the parliamentarian has pointed out that the Senate cannot change the preamble to a treaty.

Sen. Risch said he had successfully negotiated a compromise on a provision endorsing modernization of nuclear delivery vehicles that will be included in the resolution.

Sen. Risch offered a provision to require the President to deploy all phases of the phased adaptive approach (European missile defense) but lost 7 – 12. Sen. Kerry opposed it because it said the President “shall” deploy, a mandate that would not be acceptable.

Sen. Risch offered a provision to request Russia to reduce their tactical nuclear weapons, which was defeated 7 – 12, although Sen. Corker talked about working for a modified version on the Senate floor. According to Senator Kerry, the resolution said that the United States would not remove tactical nuclear weapons from Europe even if every NATO country wanted them gone. It would also have suggested that the Russians should reduce tactical nuclear weapons in advance of any new negotiations.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) offered a provision endorsing every form of missile defense know to human-kind, saying that missile defense is important to U.S. security and Mutual Assured Destruction is antithetical to U.S. security. The amendment engendered the greatest debate of the day, redolent of the days Ronald Reagan, Cold War debates, the Senate endorsement of National Missile Defense in 1999 by a 97 – 3 vote and other great hits of the past. After Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) said he would support the provision, a number of Senators agreed to work on a revised draft (,y analysis:  Democrats in 1999 and Democrats in 2010 have been and continue to be reluctant to vote against missile defense). Eventually the revised amendment passed by voice vote.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) provision endorsing another form of missile defense went down 5 – 12.

Sen. Inhofe amendment on verification violations and removal of shrouds from warheads was withdrawn.

Sen. Barasso (R-WY) provision endorsing the continued deployment of 450 Minuteman III missiles defeated by voice vote. Sen. Kerry called this a killer amendment because of the need for presidential flexibility on future deployments.

Sen. Inhofe amendment promoting the building of new strategic nuclear launchers such as bombers, air launched cruise missiles and submarines and prompt global strike (a conventional system) was defeated 5- 14.

Final passage vote:

Senators Voted In Favor:                   
John Kerry (D-MA)                       
Christopher Dodd (D-CN)                   
Russell Feingold (D-WI)                   
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)                   
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)                   
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)                    
Robert Casey (D-PA)                   
Jim Webb (D-VA)                         
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Edward Kaufman (D-DE)
Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY)
Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Bob Corker (R-TN)
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

Senators Voted Against:
James Inhofe (R-OK)
James Risch (R-ID)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)
John Barrasso (R-WY)

Absent:
Jim DeMint (R-SC)

John Isaacs: Passage Difficult, But Necessary

http://security.nationaljournal.com/2010/09/is-new-start-a-nonstarter.php#1640286
September 13, 2010 10:05 AM

NationalJournal.com

John Isaacs, Executive Director, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

This week, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry and Ranking Republican Richard Lugar are bringing the New START Treaty to a vote in committee. It is time to move to the treaty to the end game.

Senators like nothing better than avoiding a potentially difficult vote. A careful vote count indicates that 36 of 41 Republican Senators have yet to declare a position on the treaty. This situation is much better than that faced the health care bill, financial reform or the recently-proposed $50 million infrastructure program, where Republicans were overwhelmingly opposed from the beginning.

Kerry and Lugar are correct to move to a vote, and then work for a unanimous consent agreement for a floor vote. Most of the GOP Senators’ questions about the treaty relate to issues not within the four corners of the treaty: the pace of U.S. nuclear modernization and our commitment to missile defense, to name two. These are issues that can be dealt with through the resolution of ratification and White House negotiations with key Republicans. Even Arizona Senator Jon Kyl has called the treaty “benign.”

The treaty clearly enhances U.S. national security. It is overwhelmingly supported by our military leadership and past high ranking national security officials of both parties, including Republicans such as James Schlesinger, Henry Kissinger, George Shultz and Colin Powell. Only when the treaty enters into effect, the U.S. can resume onsite inspection of Russian nuclear weapons and facilities – suspended about 280 days ago.

When will the Senate floor vote be scheduled in the next few weeks or in a lame duck session? As usual, that depends on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell coming to a unanimous consent agreement. Difficult path ahead? Sure. But so many recognize the value of the treaty and the danger of defeating the it or letting it vegetate. Which is why former Defense Secretary Schlesinger said: “I think that it is obligatory for the United States to ratify [New START].”

Recently two astute political columnists have urged Senator John McCain to return to the John McCain of 2000 and his earlier Senate service. David Broder and Mark Shields rightfully respect politicians who lead by putting national and societal interest…

Please mark your calendars on October 7th for the Fifth Annual Father Robert F. Drinan National Peace and Human Rights Award being held in Washington DC.

The 2010 honorees are Bob King, president, United Automobile, Workers (UAW) and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, Massachusetts 3rd district.

The Drinan Award was established in 2006 in recognition of longtime member of Council for a Livable World’s Board of Directors, Father Robert F. Drinan.  The award is annually presented to individuals who exemplify the late Father’s commitment to peace and human justice.

Fifth Annual Father Robert F. Drinan National Peace and Human Rights Award
Chairman, David Bonior
Thursday, October 7, 2010
5:30 – 7:30 PM
Washington, DC

Host and ticket prices
$5,000 – Host
$2,500 – Sponsor
$1,000 – Patron
$500 – Friend
$100 – Individual ticket

Click here to order your tickets now

Bob King has led delegations to Mexico and El Salvador to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. In 1990 he led delegations to El Salvador to support trade unionists and church members who were victims of a long campaign of deadly bombings, death-squad murders and disappearances carried out by Salvadoran military officers trained by the U.S. military’s School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Ga. King has long been involved in efforts to close the school because its graduates use the training received there to terrorize religious activists, community activists, trade unionists and political opponents in Latin America.

Jim McGovern voted against the initial authorization of force in Iraq in 2002, and has been among the most prominent Congressional voices on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. McGovern introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill calling for a flexible timetable for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan as a matter of national security and fiscal responsibility.

Contributions may be made online here or by check payable to:

Council for a Livable World

A 501(C)(4) organization, contributions are not tax deductible for income tax purposes

Council raises campaign funds for peace candidates for Congress and lobbies Congress for arms control agreements

– OR –

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

A 501(C)(3) organization, contributions are tax deductible for income tax purposes

The Center conducts research and media outreach on national security issues

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, October 7, 2010.  We hope you can join us in honoring these advocates for peace and human justice.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is in the closest race of his political career this fall – and it is very important to us to help him win.

He is up against Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle, who has very strange views on national security issues. Despite this, Angle has come from behind with support from the far right to defeat more mainstream Republican opponents.

If Angle wins, it will be major victory for the extreme wing of the Republican Party.

Support Harry Reid today; don’t let us lose this important seat to the Tea Party.

In addition to Republican nominee Sharron Angle, Nevada’s ballot currently includes four independents and a certified Tea Party candidate. Voters also have the option to choose “none of these candidates.”

Angle’s views are on the far, far-right. Before her new DC handlers changed it, Angle’s website included this statement about the United Nations: “The U.N. has been captured by the far left and has become ineffective and costly. The U.N. continually threatens U.S. sovereignty, with endless rhetoric and treaties and it has now become the “umpire” on fraudulent science, such as global warming. The United State needs to withdraw from the United Nations and work solely with America’s willing allies.”

Angle has also floated the possibility of armed rebellion on multiple occasions. In January, Angle told conservative talk show host Lars Larson that, “Thomas Jefferson said it’s good for a country to have a revolution every 20 years. I hope that’s not where we’re going, but, you know, if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies and saying my goodness what can we do to turn this country around?”

Angle’s solution: “I’ll tell you the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out.”

We can’t let this happen. Show your support for Harry Reid today!

Reid supports the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and voted for its ratification in 1999. He has said that it is “imperative that we develop technologies to help halt the spread of nuclear weapons to countries that do not already have them, and to counter nuclear threats from terrorist groups or rogue nations.”

We are counting on Majority Leader Reid to schedule a Senate vote on the New START nuclear reductions treaty in September before Congress recesses for the election.

Angle would deny abortions to 13-year-old girls raped by their fathers; calls the BP victims’ compensation fund a “slush fund,” wants to abolish the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the EPA, and the IRS; and even disagrees with the legal status of alcohol.

Council for a Livable World urges the strongest support for Harry Reid in this difficult race. We need this progressive voice in the U.S. Senate for his strength and leadership rather than Sharron Angle.

Please keep Sharron Angle and her extreme views out of the United States Senate.