Obama on verge of foreign policy victory with START

22/12/10 00:34 CET

world news

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A key piece of legislation aimed at re-setting Russian – American relations is headed for ratification after a close procedural vote in the US Senate.

President Barack Obama’s strategic nuclear arms treaty or START aims to cut atomic weapons deployed by each country to no more than 1550.

Republican Senator Lamar Alexander explained why he supported the treaty. “ I will vote to ratify the new START Treaty between the United States and Russia because it leaves our country with enough nuclear warheads to blow any attacker to kingdom come and because the president has committed to an 85 billion dollar ten-year-plan to make sure those weapons work.”

But several Republicans such as Lindsey Graham had wanted to delay the vote until after January when the new Congress returns.

“I think this is a monumental mistake by the United States Senate to say to ratify a treaty in the lame duck in such an ill fashioned way,” said Graham.

The motion to limit further debate on the treaty passed with 67 votes, the same number need to secure Senate approval. A final vote on the accord is expected to take place later today.

More about: Nuclear weapons, Russia, USA

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