The Hill

GOP still at odds with Obama’s START Treaty

Tess Wafelbakker

The original START treaty (for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which was signed in 1991 and enforced in 1994, expired in 2009 and is now in the process of being ratified by Congress after being signed in April 2010 by President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The treaty aims to limit missiles, launchers, and warheads in both the United States and in Russia. There was a 14-4 bipartisan vote in the Foreign Relations Committee this month, but the treaty will need 67 votes for ratification – a number that Republicans say the legislation will not receive. While some Republicans have claimed that they have more to learn about the nature of the treaty before they cast a final vote, some senators including Jim DeMint of South Carolina have established their unwavering opposition to START. Final voting on the treaty will most likely take place after the November elections in the lame-duck session. Only time will tell whether or not the Democrats will be able to rally enough of their Republican peers to ratify START II.

• Bipartisan: Involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties (Democrats and Republicans in this case).
• Treaty: A written agreement between two states.
• Lame duck session: When a politician is nearing the end of their term

Pros of Ratifying START II:

• Will neutralize global nuclear tension
• Will improve the United States’ relationship with Russia
• Will improve the United States’ national security by cutting down proliferation

Cons of Ratifying START II:

• Will stifle the United States’ ability to modernize its nuclear arsenal
• Will place the United States in a vulnerable position which could threaten our national security
• Other countries like China and Iran show no signs of slowing down in developing nuclear technologies which is detrimental to the United States’ security

Additional Reading:

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/122289-gop-to-obama-start-treaty-still-far-from-ratification

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/new_start_treaty_china_challenge_5niHZQbbup6tknXsyjN2II