Obama invokes Reagan to push START nuclear arms treaty with Russia
President Obama is invoking his inner Ronald Reagan to push for a new arms control treaty with Russia.
Will it work? Possibly, but it鈥檚 an uphill sled.
On his side, Obama has the Pentagon, a wide range of national security experts from past administrations (Republican and Democrat), and both former presidents Bush. All have lined up behind what鈥檚 called 鈥淣ew START鈥� (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty).
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鈥淩atifying a treaty like START isn鈥檛 about winning a victory for an administration or a political party,鈥� Obama said in his radio/Internet address Saturday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about the safety and security of the United States of America.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why this treaty is supported by both Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 supported by every living Republican Secretary of State, our NATO allies, and the leadership of the United States military鈥�. And that鈥檚 why every President since Ronald Reagan has pursued a treaty like START, and every one that has been reviewed by the Senate has passed with strong bipartisan support.鈥�
There is some urgency to the issue. US weapons inspections ended a year ago when the 1991 arms control treaty with Russia expired. It鈥檚 Reagan鈥檚 signature arms control phrase 鈥渢rust, but verify鈥� (or 鈥�doveryai, no proveryai鈥� as the Great Communicator sometimes tried to put it) that Obama is invoking here.
Republicans aren鈥檛 exactly in a 鈥渏ust say no鈥� mood on the issue. But they are grumbling that the administration is trying to cram too much into the lame duck session of Congress. Some argue that the treaty would dangerously limit US ability to develop missile defenses.
The treaty, signed by Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in April, would require each country to reduce its arsenal of strategic nuclear warheads from the current ceiling of 2,200 down to 1,550 on 700 strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched missiles over the next seven years. It also establishes a system for monitoring and verification.
Having dispatched with immigration (defeating the DREAM Act) and allowing gays in the military (repealing don鈥檛 ask, don鈥檛 tell) on Saturday, the Senate now is clear to take up START. Whether or not it will remains unclear. It takes 67 votes to ratify a treaty.
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