Subject: Agreement for consideration of the Chemical Weapons Convention

Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 17:01:39 -0400
From: jdi@clw.org (John Isaacs)

Today, on April 17, 1997 - Majority Leader Trent Lott and Minority Leader
Tom Daschle announced a unanimous consent agreement for consideration 
and a vote on the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Today, April 17, the Senate considered S. 395, the Kyl chemical weapons
bill.  There was about an hour and a half debate on the bill. Final passage
was 53 - 44 on the Kyl bill, as modified during the debate..

On Wednesday, April 23, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be
discharged from consideration of the Chemical Weapons Convention (without
a Committee vote), and the treaty (103-21) and a resolution of ratification
will be brought to the Senate floor at 10:00 A.M. on April 23.

At that point, there will be 10 hours of debate, with the debate time
controlled by Senator Helms and Senator Biden (with Senator Leahy having
control of one hour as well).

Following the debate, the Senate will voice vote (not by recorded vote) to
accept 28 conditions, statements, understandings and declarations to the
resolution of ratification that have been agreed to by Senators Helms and
Biden, with no amendments or changes to them permitted.

Next, there will be five provisions that the two sides could not agree upon
which will be brought before the Senate.  Senator Daschle on Thursday, April
24th, will offer a motion to strike or defeat each of the five provisions in
disagreement.  Those five are:

1. Russia has to ratify the agreement before U.S. ratification takes effect;
2. Other "rogue" states have to ratify before U.S. ratification takes effect;
3. Barring Inspectors from various countries into the United States;
4. A requirement to renegotiate the treaty provisions dealing with the
exchange of information on chemical weapons defensive technology.
5. The President has to certify to a high level of verification.

No substitutes or changes to these five provisions can be accepted; each one
will either be agreed to or defeated as offered.

There may also be a closed or secret session of the Senate for up to two
hours to discuss classified information on the Convention.

On Thursday, April 24, the Senate will take the final vote on the
Convention, after the vote on the five amendments in disagreement and the
closed session.

In addition, prior to the Memorial Day recess, the Senate will vote on the
Chemical Weapons Convention implementation legislation, with two hours of
debate, with one amendment allowed by the Majority and one by the Minority.
This legislation conforms U.S. law to the Chemical Weapons Convention and 
is urgently desired by the chemical industry.

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John Isaacs
President
Council for a Livable World
110 Maryland Avenue, NE  Suite 409
Washington, DC  20002

V: (202) 543-4100
F: (202) 543-6297
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