The Senate must ratify the new START this year. Delay endangers our national security and the security of the world. The White House noted today:
This morning the President went to a meeting hosted by the Vice President to discuss the New START treaty and why it is in our clear national security interest that the Senate approve it this year. The President said that "the key point here is this is not about politics, it’s about national security" -- and indeed the names on the attendee list spoke to the gravity of the issue and overwhelming support from America's foremost national security experts: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator John Kerry; Senator Richard Lugar; former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright, James Baker, and Henry Kissinger; former Secretaries of Defense William Cohen and William Perry; former National Security Advisor General Brent Scowcroft; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright; and Senator Sam Nunn.
President Obama told those gathered:
There is no higher national security priority for the lame duck session of Congress. The stakes for American national security are clear, and they are high. The New START treaty responsibly reduces the number of nuclear weapons and launchers that the United States and Russia deploy, while fully maintaining America’s nuclear deterrent.
If we ratify this treaty, we’re going to have a verification regime in place to track Russia’s strategic nuclear weapons, including U.S. inspectors on the ground. If we don’t, then we don’t have a verification regime -– no inspectors, no insights into Russia’s strategic arsenal, no framework for cooperation between the world’s two nuclear superpowers. As Ronald Reagan said, we have to trust, but we also have to verify. In order for us to verify, we’ve got to have a treaty.
The New START treaty is also a cornerstone of our relations with Russia. And this goes beyond nuclear security. Russia has been fundamental to our efforts to put strong sanctions in place to put pressure on Iran to deal with its nuclear program. It’s been critical in supporting our troops in Afghanistan through the Northern Distribution Network. It’s been critical in working with us to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world, and to enhance European security.
We cannot afford to gamble on our ability to verify Russia’s strategic nuclear arms. And we can’t jeopardize the progress that we’ve made in securing vulnerable nuclear materials, or in maintaining a strong sanctions regime against Iran. These are all national interests of the highest order.
Bi-partisan leaders in Congress support the treaty. The treaty also has supported from military leaders and past and present officials from the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations. Public opinion is strongly behind the treaty.
Faith leaders also support the treaty. The leaders of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service issued an appeal today for the passage of the treaty:
New York, November 18, 2010 -- The staff leaders of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service have sent messages to U.S. senators urging the ratification this year of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II) signed by President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The message by the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC general secretary, and the Rev. John L. McCullough, CWS executive director and CEO, comes at a time when ratification of the treaty is uncertain during the lame duck period before the 111th Congress adjourns.
Last week the general assembly of the NCC and CWS, meeting as a Centennial Ecumenical Gathering in New Orleans, unanimously adopted a call to ratify the treaty. Kinnamon and McCullough sent copies of the statement to U.S. senators.
The statement urging passage of the treaty was sent to Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.), majority leader of the Senate, and to Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), minority whip, and all U.S. senators. Kyl has cast doubt on the timing of a vote on the treaty, saying senators needed more time to study its implications.
"This treaty is a vital step in moving the United States into greater partnership with the world as it turns away from nuclear weapons," said the letter from Kinnamon and McCullough, quoting the General Assembly resolution. “The United States as a whole has the chance to contribute to this global movement by shrinking the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.”
"This treaty is a vital step in moving the United States into greater partnership with the world as it turns away from nuclear weapons," said the letter from Kinnamon and McCullough, quoting the General Assembly resolution. “The United States as a whole has the chance to contribute to this global movement by shrinking the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.”
This treaty "cannot be caught in the gridlock of Capitol Hill. Its ratification is too important for the future and security of the United States and the world. On behalf of Christians across this country, we strongly urge you to bring the treaty to a vote, and to support ratification of START," the letter said.
The Rev. Jan Olav Flaaten, executive director of the Arizona Ecumenical Council, joined in the letter to Mr. Kyl.
The General Assembly resolution declared the member communions and other groups are raising their collective voice to say to the U.S. Senate: "Approve the START II treaty without delay!"
"We add that, while START II is important, it is not enough," the delegates said. "We live in a time when the tide is turning worldwide in the direction of complete nuclear disarmament. More than half the world's nations now live in regions classified by the United Nations as Nuclear Weapon Free Zones, and many cities in the United States have declared themselves nuclear free zones as well. The United States as a whole has the chance to contribute to this global movement by shrinking the largest nuclear arsenal in the world -- toward the goal of their total elimination."
The full text of the resolution can be downloaded at http://www.ncccusa.org/pdfs/SALTII.pdf.
The letter to U.S. senators can be downloaded at http://www.ncccusa.org/pdfs/STARTletterreid.pdf
Please contact your members of the Senate immediately. Tell them to continue the bi-partisan tradition of arms control. Don't let political extremists derail this treaty and endanger the people of the United States and the world. Click here for additional information on how can contact your Senators.
