IV

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 306

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President should pursue negotiations with Russia as quickly as possible to achieve a START III

agreement that reduces the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to the lowest possible level, and no more than 2,000 each for

the United States and Russia.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 4, 1994

Ms. FURSE submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President

should pursue negotiations with Russia as quickly as

possible to achieve a START III agreement that reduces

the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to

the lowest possible level, and no more than 2,000 each

for the United States and Russia.

Whereas START I (the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)

was signed by Presidents Bush and Gorbachev on July

31, 1991, and START II was signed by Presidents Bush

and Yeltsin on January 3, 1993;

Whereas President Yeltsin proposed on January 29, 1992,

that the United States and Russia reduce the number of
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•HCON 306 IH

their deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 2,000 to

2,500 each;

Whereas the substantial improvement in relations between

the 2 largest nuclear powers in this post-Cold War era

offers an opportunity to secure further reductions in nuclear arms, thereby reducing the cost and nuclear risk for

the United States, Russia, and the world;

Whereas START III negotiations should begin as soon as

possible, since (1) in their September 1994 summit,

Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin agreed that, as soon as

START II is ratified, the United States and Russia

would promptly begin to remove from active service

enough nuclear forces to reach START II levels years

earlier than the treaty requires, and (2) START III

would logically continue the reductions achieved in

START I and II;

Whereas section 1611(c) of Public Law 103–160 required the

President to report on the implications of the United

States and Russia dismantling all tactical nuclear weapons in their arsenals; and

Whereas reductions in the nuclear forces would enable the

United States to avoid substantial costs: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That—

3 (1) the Congress commends President Clinton

4 and Russian President Yeltsin for agreeing in the

5 summit that was held on September 27 and 28,

6 1994, that, once START II is ratified, the United

7 States and Russia will proceed to deactivate enough
3

•HCON 306 IH

1 nuclear forces to reach the levels provided in

2 START II years earlier than the treaty requires,

3 and to intensify dialogue regarding the possibility of

4 further reductions of remaining nuclear forces;

5 (2) it is the sense of the Congress that the

6 President should pursue negotiations with Russia as

7 quickly as possible to achieve a START III agree8 ment that reduces the number of deployed strategic

9 nuclear warheads to the lowest possible level, but in

10 no case more than 2,000 each for the United States

11 and Russia;

12 (3) the President should also discuss, with

13 other countries with nuclear capabilities, the possi14 bility of future negotiations to reduce the levels of

15 nuclear weapons in those countries; and

16 (4) the President should initiate negotiations

17 with Russia to seek to dismantle all tactical nuclear

18 weapons in the Russian and United States arsenals.

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