DATE=10/5/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SENATE-TEST BAN (L-ONITER)
NUMBER=2-254698
BYLINE=DAVID SWAN
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  President Clinton is under mounting pressure 
to seek a delay in the Senate vote on the nuclear test 
ban treaty.  V-O-A's David Swan reports, the 
postponement could be announced Wednesday.

TEXT:  Both opposition Republicans and Mr. Clinton's 
own Democratic allies are telling the White House the 
treaty stands  no  chance of ratification.  All sides 
agree the number of supporters falls far short of the 
needed two-thirds majority.

Republican leader Trent Lott, one of the treaty's 
critics, now wants the issue put aside until at least 
the year 2001.

            /// LOTT ACT ///

      You know, if they would indicate some 
      willingness to let the next administration and 
      the next Congress consider this and vote on it, 
      we'd entertain that.

            /// END ACT ///

The White House had long sought a vote on the test 
ban.  It has been signed by more than 150 countries, 
but ratified by barely half the 44 nuclear-capable 
states whose approval is needed to bring the treaty 
into force.

Officials argue the pact will curb the spread of 
nuclear weapons without harming national security.  
But the administration has  not  been able to counter 
a well-orchestrated flood of Republican opposition.  

Lawmakers charge the treaty will weaken the safety and 
credibility of the U-S nuclear arsenal and will  not  
stop rogue states from building and testing weapons.  
Republican Senator John Kyl says ratification would 
achieve  nothing.

            /// KYL ACT ///

      So I think it is faulty logic at best to contend 
      that if the United States will simply ratify 
      this treaty, other nations will follow and there 
      will  not  be proliferation of nuclear weapons 
      in the world.  Its just too naive a view for us 
      to take the risk.

            /// END ACT ///

When faced with defeat, Senate Democrats began calling 
for a halt to next week's scheduled vote.  Minority 
leader Tom Daschle says that scenario is better than 
what he calls the disaster of outright defeat.
 
            /// DASCHLE ACT ///

      We can  not  afford to send the wrong message to 
      countries all over the world.  We can not afford 
      to send a green light to India and Pakistan that 
      testing is OK.  This treaty must be passed or we 
      ought to find some other way to deal with this.

            /// END ACT ///

A delay in the vote would  not  mean the end of the 
treaty, but it would be a setback for the president.  
He hoped to make the test ban one of the last foreign 
policy triumphs of his term.  If Republicans have 
their way, the treaty will have  no  chance of passage 
until Mr. Clinton has left office.   (Signed)

NEB/DS/TVM/WTW



05-Oct-1999 19:51 PM EDT (05-Oct-1999 2351 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.