Obama pushes for approval of nuclear treaty
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U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said on Tuesday that the Obama administration still maintains that the new nuclear treaty with Russia should be ratified by the Senate by the end of this year.
"It remains the Obama administration's belief that the new START treaty is in our national interest. And we believe it should be voted upon in this lame duck session," Crowley told reporters at the regular briefing.
The lame duck session refers to the period between the end of midterm elections and the year-end. The Republicans will take control of the House in the new congressional session, starting from the beginning of next year.
Republican Senator Jon Kyl said on Tuesday that he does not think the treaty should be brought to the Senate for vote this year, citing busy Senate schedule and complexity of the treaty. The decision by Kyl, who is an important figure on this issue, dealt a serious blow to Obama's effort to reduce nuclear arsenal worldwide.
Crowley indicated that Democrats will push for a vote on the treaty in the Senate despite opposition from the Republicans.
"We've engaged senators for many months over the details of the treaty. We believe that we've answered all of their questions. We've addressed their concerns ... but it is our firm view that the START treaty should be ratified while Senate is in session," he said.
On April 8, President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, signed the new START treaty, replacing the previous pact that expired in December last year. However, the treaty needs to be ratified by legislators of both countries before taking effect.
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