Lugar: Senate Close to Vote on START
The Hill reports:
Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) on Sunday said he is optimistic that the START arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia has "pretty strong bipartisan support" in the Senate and that a lame-duck vote this month will be successful.
Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" with host Candy Crowley, Lugar said he is optimistic that his colleagues want to vote on the treaty before the Christmas recess, after a deal is reached on extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and a continuing resolution to fund the government.
Senate Republicans have threatened to block any measure in the chamber unless the tax cuts are dealt with, and several incoming GOP freshmen have demanded the chance to vote on the treaty in January, when the party will pick up six more seats. Mindful of the math, Democratic leaders are pushing for a vote this month.
Lugar said he expects that will happen, if Reid can resist pressure from Democrats to bring up other issues before the treaty.
"We're on the threshold," Lugar said. "I hope we will, and I think if we do, the votes are there."
Reid plans to bring up the treaty for a vote before the end of the year, in the ongoing lame-duck session. Sixty-seven votes are needed to ratify the treaty in the Senate — the House does not vote on treaties — and Lugar is critical to Democrats' hopes of persuading enough Republicans to support it. The ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee is well-respected for his foreign policy experience.
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