| Top of the Agenda: START Ratification Gains Support Ratification of the New START treaty, a nuclear arms reduction agreement with Russia, was reportedly within reach ahead of an expected Tuesday's congressional vote (NYT). Nine Republican senators have publicly said they would vote for the treaty or are leaning toward (The Hill) doing so, making it likely the Senate would reach the sixty-seven votes needed for ratification. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also appealed to the Senate (WashPost) to ratify the treaty. Still, the treaty remains the subject of much partisan debate. More than seventy Republican amendments have been filed aimed altering the treaty text and preamble. But in Senate floor action over the weekend, treaty backers garnered more than enough votes to defeat Republican amendments. Russian officials have warned against such amendments, saying the treaty cannot be reopened (Moscow Times) and subject to new negotiations. Current Senate negotiations on amendments are focused on the resolution (Politico) of ratification—such as reiterating a commitment to missile defense—which would not alter the language of the treaty itself. Such language could strengthen the treaty's position with some GOP holdouts. Analysis: In a New York Times blog, Robert Wright looks at why there is divergence between the Republican Party's foreign policy brain trust (including six former secretaries of state who back the treaty) and its top lawmakers. In this transcript, CFR's Kay King, Micah Zenko, and James Lindsay discuss the congressional politics of New START ratification and the potential foreign policy implications associated with its success and/or failure. In a recent CFR roundup, four experts assess the strengths and weaknesses of the New START agreement. Background: Text of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed in April. | 
