New START Hearings

Greetings from (not so) sunny San Diego. I hope the people back east are enjoying the sweltering heat.  I just finished the first of three weeks at the UCSD IGCC Public Policy and Nuclear Threats Summer Training Program. But, last week the Senate Foreign Relations Committee concluded twelve hearings on the New START Treaty.  The hearings focused on the history of arms control, context of the treaty, the negotiations, verification, U.S. national security, the inspection regime, and impact on the stockpile.

Here is a list of the hearings.

Hearings started on April 29, with the chairs of the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission, James Schlesinger and William Perry, who discussed the historic and modern context for U.S.-Russian Arms Control. Both men voiced their support for the treaty. The Obama administration formally presented their argument for ratification on May 18 with Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Gates and Joint Chiefs Chair Adm. Mullen. Providing further historical and national strategic implications were James Baker, Henry Kissinger, Brent Scrowcroft, and Stephen Hadley, who all voiced questions and areas of concern, but expressed their general support for the treaty.

Committee members then heard, in closed and open sessions on June 8 and 15 respectively,  Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance Chief U.S. Negotiator, and Edward L. Warner III , Secretary of Defense Representative to Post- START Negotiations, on the negotiation process with the Russians.

One June 16, James Miller, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Department of Defense, General Kevin Chilton, STRATCOM commander, and Lt. General Patrick O’Reilly, commander of the Missile Defense Agency, gave the Pentagon perspective of the treaty, all in support of ratification.  Implementation and Inspection was the next topic on June 24, with the focus on the on site inspection regimes with James Miller and Kenneth Myers III from DTRA.

The Senate Committee heard from Robert Joseph, Eric Edleman, and Dr. Morton Halperin on the costs and benefits of the treaty also on June 24. Mr. Joseph and Mr. Eldeman both expressed concerns and question about the treaty, but did not suggest Senate rejection. Dr. Halperin stated the treaty followed the recommendations issued by the Strategic Posture Commission and he fully supported the treaty.

On July 14, Rose Gottemoeller presented, in a closed session, information on monitoring and verification of the Russian arsenal under the new treaty. Finally, on July 15, Dr. Michael Anastaiso, Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Dr. George Miller, Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Dr. Paul Hommert, Director of Sandia National Laboratory, testified addressing the future of the U.S. nuclear stockpile under the new treaty. The three directors voiced support for the treaty and declared it would not limit their ability to maintain a safe, secure and effective stockpile. But, they did stress that the Congress and the administration must maintain the will to sustain funding for the future as the stockpile decreases in size.

Below is a table of the hearings, topics, dates, whether it was an open or closed session and the speakers. Now, off to the beach….