Much Ado About Not Much: The House Republican Resolution on New START
Kingston Reif, the Deputy Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, writes, “The approach of some vocal Republicans to the 'New START' negotiations goes something like this: Suggest a dozen different ways that a new arms control agreement with Russia could be detrimental to U.S. security without actually opposing a new arms control agreement with Russia.” A resolution proposed by Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) is the latest in a long list of efforts on the part of some Republicans to define New START as bad for U.S. interests. Arguments include our ability to deter China and other would-be nuclear powers; to provide Congress with reports on both negotiations with Russia and China’s nuclear forces; to complete the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) before signing an agreement; and to ensure that a new agreement does not constrain U.S. missile defenses.