American Forum

In April President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the New Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (START), a measure designed to mutually and verifiably reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals. Specifically, it would reduce U.S. and Russian warheads by approximately one third and would continue and strengthen the verification regime that has allowed the inspections and surveillance that have informed U.S. intelligence about Russian nuclear forces for decades.

The treaty is now before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and may come before the full Senate for a vote on ratification this summer.

Over the last several months, Americaís military leaders and national security expertsófrom both Republican and Democratic administrationsóhave testified before Senate committees, all with the same message: the treatyís modest mutual reductions and strengthened verification regime improve our national security, and the Senate should ratify the treaty.