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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest
Releases
The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
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| JANUARY
19, 1999 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, (202) 546-0795 x136 |
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| The Nuclear Test Ban and the State of the Union Address; Resources and Experts Available | ||||
| WASHINGTON
- January 19 - Reducing the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation is one of the foreign
policy priorities President Clinton is expected to address in his State of the
Union address. The top non-proliferation legislative matter awaiting Senate
action is the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
In a speech delivered on January 12, National Security Advisor Samuel Berger said: "... attaining Senate advice and consent on the CTBT in 1999 [is] one of the President's top priorities." He argued that failure to act on the treaty by September, when a special international conference on the treaty is convened, would severely undermine U.S. leadership to help persuade nations like India and Pakistan from conducting further nuclear tests. "If the Senate rejects or fails to act [on the CTBT], we will throw open the door to regional arms races. It would be a tragedy if the Senate did not ratify this year," Berger said. The Treaty has been signed by 152 countries, including the five "declared" nuclear weapon states. Twenty-six states have ratified. The U.S. and 43 other nuclear-capable states must ratify before the treaty enters into force. The CTBT would make it harder for countries with advanced nuclear weapons, like Russia and China, to produce new and more threatening types of nuclear weapons. The test ban would also help prevent nations seeking nuclear arms from making smaller warheads, which are more easily deliverable by ballistic missiles. The CTBT was sent to the Senate in September 1997 for its advice and consent for ratification. Throughout 1998, the President and a growing number of Senators called on the Senate to consider and approve the CTBT, which gained new significance following Indian and Pakistani nuclear blasts in May 1998. An overwhelming majority of Americans support the test ban treaty. According to the latest national poll, 73% of respondents support Senate approval of the treaty, while only 16% did not approve (The Mellman Group, May 1998). However, Senator Jesse Helms, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Majority Leader Trent Lott so far have refused to hold hearings or schedule a vote on the treaty. Helms suggests that the U.S. should resume nuclear testing and that the U.S. should not press India and Pakistan to sign the CTBT. Experts Available -- For insights and expert analysis on the nuclear test ban treaty and the prospects for Senate ratification, the following experts are available before and after the State of the Union Address.
Web Site Resources -- Background information on nuclear testing and the test ban treaty is available from Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers' main Web site: http://www.crnd.org and from the Coalition's Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Site http://www.clw.org/coalition/ctbindex.htm ### |
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