The 111th Congress was one of the most productive [4] in decades. But the lame-duck session was truly remarkable. Just a few days before the end of the session, 71 Senators voted to provide the advice and consent necessary [5] to ratify the New START treaty, reducing the nuclear arsenals of both the US and Russia by a third, and putting arms inspectors back on the ground to verify those reductions.

It was an unlikely success. Right up until the vote, many didn't believe that it could happen. And it might not have, without the hard work of many NGOs and organizations who provided the expertise, political arguments, media savvy and bare-knuckled lobbying efforts to make it happen. 

We've put together a short video talking about what it took to get to the New START victory. We hope you find it inspiring.