Robert Norris: The Senate and the START Treaty

The next few months will be crucial to the success of President Obama's agenda for nuclear disarmament, writes Robert Norris of the Natural Resources Defense Council.  A follow-on agreement to START, the treaty that covers strategic nuclear weapons, must be completed by its expiration date, Dec. 5.  Success with this follow-on treaty will lead to negotiations to further reduce the strategic arsenal and deal with the tactical stockpiles. Rejection will doom those efforts, says Norris. Norris describes the “major salvo” fired by the Senate Republican Policy Committee and the conditions that must be satisfied to gain Republican support.