Nominee stands firm.
The split between Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was deepest on the issues of Balkans peacekeeping and national missile defense, both of which received considerable attention during last year's presidential election campaign. Democrats, led by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. Biden called on the new administration to conduct a comprehensive review of missile defense technology and reassess the treaty before proceeding. But Powell stood firm, saying that he would continue to support deployment, even if North Korea agrees to freeze its missile development program and curtail missile exports. In the end, it will benefit the world.