After a two-year delay, the Senate is now racing toward a vote next week on ratifying a critically important arms control treaty.
Ratification is by no means assured.
But approval of the nuclear test ban treaty, which prohibits participating countries from conducting nuclear weapons tests, is manifestly in the best interests of the United States. Washington neither plans nor needs to conduct any further tests. The treaty's main effect would be to halt the programs of other countries. Since no new nuclear weapons can be reliably developed without testing, ratification of the treaty by enough countries would freeze the nuclear weapons race worldwide. This is not just one more incremental arms control treaty.