The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said the START Treaty shouldn’t be allowed to expire because some treaty provisions are in the nation’s interest.
“Even if a new treaty cannot be ratified by the December deadline, START should not be allowed to expire because the data exchanges and other verification provisions in the treaty contribute significantly to strategic stability and are in our national interest,” Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), said in his opening statement July 30 at a hearing on the U.S. security relationship with Russia.
In arms control and nuclear security, the administration is working with its Russian counterparts to complete a follow on to the START treaty that expires in December.
Skelton said he was pleased the president is moving to strengthen and expand U.S. non-proliferation cooperation with Russia.
“In many matters, our two sets of national interests are intertwined; both nations are concerned about extremist terrorism; both nations are concerned about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; both nations are concerned about energy security as just some examples,” he said.
At the same time, he said, Russia also presents a challenge to U.S. security, citing the Georgia crisis last summer as an example.
However, he said, “in the end, the United States must balance its desire to “reset” the relationship with Russia with a clear calculation of our national interests, and the risks and threats we and our allies face.”