Lawmakers stretching out Russia nuke pact debate

[December 17, 2010]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican opponents of a new U.S-Russia nuclear arms pact are ignoring demands by Democrats that they move toward a vote as they stretch out debate amid a tight year-end schedule in Congress.

Debate on the treaty lasted into the evening Thursday even as lawmakers wrangled on how to deal with essential budgetary issues that must be addressed before Congress breaks for the year.

Democrats were urging Republicans to address their concerns in a separate document that would be approved along with the nuclear pact and serve as a congressional commentary on the treaty. Debate was expected to continue Friday.

Time is an issue as the current Congress grapples with a number of pressing items that must be addressed before the end of the year. Proponents of the treaty are insisting this Congress vote on it before the Democrats' majority shrinks in early January.

Despite the contentious debate, the treaty appeared to be gaining support with more Republicans indicating they could support it in recent days.

President Barack Obama has made the treaty among his top priorities before Congress breaks, a chance for a foreign policy victory to cap a politically difficult year. Conservative Republicans stand in the way, asserting that the United States made too many concessions in negotiations with Russia and the treaty would limit U.S. defense options.

"They get everything out of it," insisted Republican Sen. Sen. Jon Kyl in Thursday's debate. "I don't know what we get out of it except for the president to say he made another arms control deal with Russia."

Republicans were also charging the treaty would limit U.S. missile defense options.

Countering those arguments -- though unlikely to appease some Republicans -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters at the White House on Thursday that the treaty "in no way limits anything we want or have in mind on missile defense."

The treaty, signed by Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in April, would limit each country's strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, down from the current ceiling of 2,200, and establish a system for monitoring and verification. U.S. weapons inspections ended a year ago with the expiration of the 1991 arms control treaty.

Supporters are pushing for ratification in the closing days of the year because prospects for passage will dim when Republicans increase their numbers by five senators in January. The Constitution requires approval by two-thirds of the Senate to ratify a treaty.

Backers of the pact and the Obama administration were encouraged by a 66-32 vote on Wednesday to move ahead on debate, boosting Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's contention that he has the votes for ratification.

Several Republicans said they were determined to amend the treaty, which would effectively kill it because any changes would require new negotiations with Russia. None of the amendments was offered, however, during Thursday's daylong debate.

[Associated Press; By DESMOND BUTLER]

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