Senators make case for arms control treaty

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A new arms control treaty with Russia is essential for the United States to keep tabs on its rival's vast nuclear arsenal, backers of the pact said yesterday as the Senate plunged into debate on President Barack Obama's top foreign policy priority.

The treaty "will enable American teams to return to Russia to collect data on the Russian arsenal and verify Russian compliance. These inspections greatly reduce the possibility that we will be surprised by Russian nuclear deployments or advancements," said Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.

U.S. weapons inspections ended a year ago with the expiration of the 1991 arms control treaty.

The White House and senior Democrats expressed confidence that they had the 67 votes needed for ratification and Obama said he is prepared to delay a holiday vacation until the treaty is completed.

Democrats easily cleared an initial hurdle on the landmark treaty that would lower the cap on nuclear warheads for both countries and establish a system for monitoring and verification. They prevailed, 66-32, to move forward on the pact, winning the backing of nine Republicans in a fresh sign of momentum.

Angry accusations marked the hours before the vote as Republicans threatened to force the treaty, signed in April, to be read aloud, which would have delayed Senate consideration. The heated rhetoric quickly gave way to a more sober analysis.