The House
Test-Ban Treaty
The House adopted, 268 to 148, a non-binding resolution urging President Reagan to resume talks with the Soviets for a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty. A similar measure was adopted by the Senate two years ago. Its rationale is that the arms race would end on both sides if new technologies could not be tested, assuming the ban was mutually verifiable. In addition to seeking summit negotiations toward an end to all testing, the measure (HJ Res 3) called for Senate ratification of two treaties banning underground nuclear explosions of 150 kilotons or more. Presidents Nixon and Ford signed those treaties with the Soviets but the Senate has never ratified them.
The resolution goes counter to the Administration strategy of negotiating deep cuts in Soviet and American nuclear weapons as a precondition of banning tests of new ones. Also, the Administration terms it impossible to adequately verify Soviet compliance with a comprehensive test-ban treaty.
Members voting yes favored the resolution.
How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Beilenson (D) x Rep. Berman (D) x Rep. Dixon (D) x Rep. Levine (D) x Rep. Waxman (D) x
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