Barrier to New START Removed

Whether you are in the corridors of the Capitol or in the mass media, there is always a mention about the ratification of the new American-Russian Strategic Arms Reduction treaty (START), also known as “New START,” and literally every phrase will contain the word “hurdle” or “barrier.” As it happens, on the 21st of December the barrier for ratification in the US Senate was taken down. Eleven Republican senators agreed to vote for its ratification. This would be two votes more than what is necessary to qualify as a majority.

It seems that these Sisyphean efforts have borne fruit. Six former Secretaries of State promoted it in the Capitol, and what’s more, all of them were Republicans! Behind closed doors, the senior military officers outlined the details of “New START” to the senators, proving how necessary it is for the national defense of the country. Admiral Mike Mullen, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declared: “Ratification of the New START is vital to US national security. … This treaty enhances our ability to do that which we in the military have been charged to do: Protect and defend the citizens of the United States.” Secretary of State Clinton published a list of Republican senators, to whom she has given a ‘massage’ by telephone. President Obama decided not to publish an analogous list, in order not to compromise “the massaged”.

The ratification of the START treaty is believed to be the final test of the day for Obama’s legislative agenda. Motivated by the president, Congress successfully took down previous “barriers”: laws concerning taxes; a law concerning the removal of an order prohibiting gays from serving in the armed forces (which was signed by Obama on Wednesday morning); a law concerning the Federal Reserve; and finally, the START treaty. Commenting on Obama’s success, columnists wrote that the President was “ascendant” in his attitude.

“New START” proposes that seven years after its ratification the USA and Russia will limit their offensive weapons to 1550 strategic nuclear warheads and 700 installations for their deployment. According to the treaty, “on-site” inspections will be restarted, the time period for which ended altogether with the expiration of START 1 in December of last year. Several attempts by Republican Senators to introduce amendments into the text of the treaty, which would require new discussions with Moscow, were rejected. In connection with this, many newspapers published an interview with the Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Lavrov, where in particular he said that the treaty “cannot be opened up and become the subject of new negotiations.” All the television channels subsequently revisited April’s events: Presidents Medvedev and Obama signing “New Start.”

According to the testimony of those who were behind the closed doors of the Senate, the debate was fierce. Democratic Senator Kerry called out the Republicans with a rebuke of their procrastination and inconsistencies: “Because of you this treaty has been delayed 13 times.” “Having accommodated their interests,” he said, “they now come back and turn around and say: ‘Oh, you guys are terrible. You’re bringing this treaty up at the last minute.'”

Business before pleasure. After an explosion of positive energy in the Senate, which unexpectedly proved that he was not such a “lame duck” after all, President Obama cleared for himself a path from his home to Hawaii to be there with his family, who are waiting for him in order to celebrate Christmas together. Washington is in a short lame-duck season, or rather, the calm before the storm, for in the new Congress the Republicans will have a majority in the House of Representatives. The White House Press Corps has already descended on Hawaii. We do not envy them. Endless rains are falling on Hawaii. The presidential residence is literally inundated with streams of water.