Obama eyes quick nuclear treaty ratification with Russia

PRESSING for quick Senate ratification of a United States (U.S.)-Russia nuclear arms reduction treaty, President Barack Obama, has summoned a number of former secretaries of defence and state, Republicans and Democrats to the White House to rally support for the imperiled agreement.

The White House, according to the Associated Press (AP), said Obama wanted to discuss at the gathering why it is in the national interest for the Senate to approve the treaty this year, a move that a key Senate Republican says would be premature.

Those invited to the Roosevelt Room meeting yesterday included Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, Senator Richard Lugar and former Senator Sam Nunn, including former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright, James Baker and Henry Kissinger.
Former defence secretaries William Cohen and William Perry and former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft were also included.

Vice President Joe Biden presided and Obama only dropped in on the meeting.
The White House is mounting an all-out push for ratification of the treaty, which Obama has made a top foreign policy priority. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on Wednesday that he believed the New START deal would come up and pass during the lame-duck Congress, now in progress.

The agreement would shrink the U.S. and Russian arsenals of strategic warheads and revive on-the-ground inspections that ceased when a previous treaty expired nearly a year ago.

Senator Jon Kyl, a leading Republican voice on the issue, dealt the pact a major setback on Tuesday by coming out against a vote this year.         Kyl, who’s been seeking more money and focus on maintaining and modernizing the remaining arsenal, said more time was needed before moving forward.
When pressed on the issue on Wednesday, Kyl told reporters, “We’re talking in good faith.”

The treaty has support from some moderate Republicans, but Kyl’s opposition makes approval a tough climb since many in the GOP were looking to his assent before giving their backing. Sixty-seven votes are needed for approval, so Democrats need at least eight Republican votes for ratification in the current Senate.

Once the newly elected Senate is seated in January, Democrats will need the support of at least 14 Republicans.
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