Senate Vote Defies U.S. Missile Accord
Ignoring Administration warnings that it is inciting a new arms race, the Senate held fast Thursday to plans to erect a missile defense system, unilaterally altering a 1972 treaty.
By a 51-49 vote, the Senate rejected a Democrat-led effort to remove language in a 1996 defense spending bill that fundamentally changes the U.S. stance toward the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty that restricts U.S. and Russian missile defenses.
The Administration has threatened to veto the measure. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman John M. Shalikashvili said it could lead to Russia refusing to ratify the START II disarmament treaty.
But Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), who crafted the bill’s ABM language, said it was needed because the Administration had failed to work out with the Russians a “demarcation” between the long-range missile defenses barred under the ABM treaty and shorter-range theater missile defenses that could be built. Republicans also argued that the guiding concept of the treaty--mutual assured destruction--was no longer relevant.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
