McCain-Barrasso Amendment Strikes START Preamble Language Limiting Missile Defense

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) joined Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to introduce an amendment to the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).  The McCain-Barrasso amendment (4814) will strike the language in the new START preamble that limits America’s missile defense.

Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks from the floor of the U.S. Senate are below:

“It is indeed a privilege to join my friend and colleague, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee.  The amendment that he brings today is one to strike the language in the preamble that limits our missile defense.  It limits our ability as a nation to defend ourselves.

“I have major concerns about Russia trying to limit current and future U.S. missile defense capabilities through new START.

“I am committed to our national security and the ability of the United States to defend ourselves.

“In my opinion, the treaty signed by President Obama and Russian President Medvedev on April 8, 2010 places explicit limitations on United States missile defense.

“There should be no place in a treaty with Russia for the U.S. to limit our ability to defend and protect our nation.

“Specifically, I believe that the language in the preamble, the language in the unilateral statement by Russia the day the treaty was signed, and the language in the statements by senior Russian officials on missile defense all show—all of them show that Russia intends to weaken the ability of the United States to defend ourselves.

“The language in the preamble provides an explicit linkage between strategic nuclear offensive weapons and strategic nuclear defensive weapons.

“The preamble implies the right of Russia to withdraw from the Treaty based on U.S. missile defense that is beyond ‘current strategic’ capabilities.

“The treaty preamble gives Russia an opportunity to turn their backs on the treaty at the slightest sign of a shift in American defensive strategy.

“This language is unacceptable and it needs to be removed.

“Senator McCain read from the Wall Street Journal editorial by, Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pointed out several legitimate concerns about the New START treaty that must be resolved during the ratification process.

“I would like to just reiterate two sentences—two sentences that get to the very heart of this amendment that Senator McCain and I are bringing to you today.  She stated, ‘… the Senate must make absolutely clear that in ratifying this treaty, the U.S. is not re-establishing the Cold War link between offensive forces and missile defenses.  New Start’s preamble is worrying in this regard, as it recognizes the ‘interrelationship’ of the two.’

“Well Mr. President, Russia is trying to force the United States to choose—choose between missile defense and the treaty.

“In that the case, I choose missile defense.

“The administration continues to claim there’s no limit on missile defense, and the administration also claims the preamble is not legally binding.
“Well Russia clearly disagrees and believes the opposite to be true.

“They have made it quite clear that they consider the preamble to be legally binding.

“The Russian Foreign Minister stated this year, 2010, the treaty contained, ‘legally binding linkage between strategic offensive and strategic defensive weapons.’

“There is a fundamental disagreement between the United States and Russia on this issue.

“I believe that placing constraints on future U.S. defense capabilities should not be up for debate – let alone placed in a treaty on strategic offensive nuclear weapons.

“It is outrageous that this administration would make any concession to Russia on our national security. 

“I think that the administration’s decision to include this language was a serious mistake.

“We should not be tying our hands behind our backs and risking the national security of both our nation and as well as our allies.

“The United States must always remain in charge of our missile defense, not Russia or any other country.

“As our country continues to face threats from around the world, we should not take any action—any action, that will hinder our missile defense options.

“With concerns over countries like Iran and like North Korea, the United States cannot take any chance—any chance on language that could weaken our missile defense capabilities.

“The administration claims the language in the preamble has no legally binding significance. 

“Then there should be no problem in eliminating that language on missile defense in the preamble of the treaty.

“And that is why I’m privileged to join my colleague, Sen. McCain to offer amendment 4814, and would ask my colleagues to give great consideration and thought to what the importance of this amendment is and then to go on and adopt it.”

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