Background: Earlier this year, President Obama signed and then submitted the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) to the U.S. Senate for ratification. The treaty puts America's security at stake by ignoring the dual threats of North Korea and Iran while failing to deter future proliferation. At the same time, it places limitations on America's ability to defend itself against these undeterred threats. Peace through strength it is not.
Status: Although the Senate Foreign Relations Committee continues to hold hearings, Chairman John Kerry indicated he would like the committee to approve the treaty before the August recess, setting up a vote on ratification sometime this Fall.
Fortunately, treaty ratification requires the support of 67 Senators. In this case, all 57 Senate Democrats (including Senator Robert Byrd's eventual replacement), both Independents and at least eight Republicans must support the treaty. To date, the Republican support comes from Indiana Senator Dick Lugar. Running the opposition to the treaty is Republican Whip Jon Kyl.