Washington, DC – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today released the following statement applauding Senate ratification of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, also known as New START.
“For more than a year, our inspectors have been shut out of Russia’s nuclear facilities,” said Bennet. “By ratifying New START, we now will be able to conduct extensive, on-site inspections of Russia’s nuclear arsenal. This treaty will make America safer. It safely reduces Russia’s nuclear warhead arsenal, establishes a rigorous inspection regime, and helps ensure that remaining weapons don’t fall into the wrong hands. More broadly, this treaty, which has been endorsed by countless former defense secretaries and secretaries of state, allows us to join with Russia and set an example for the rest of the world. It helps lay the groundwork for future work against rogue nuclear threats and global terrorism. I am proud that the Senate came together to fulfill its constitutional duty and keep America safe.”
The Senate passed the New START Treaty 71-26, gaining the two-thirds majority required.