English subtitles for clip: File:2010-11-20 President Obama's Weekly Address.ogv

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President Obama:
Today, I'd like to speak to
you about an issue that is

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fundamental to America's
national security: the need

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for the Senate to approve the
New START Treaty this year.

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This Treaty is rooted in a
practice that dates back

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to Ronald Reagan.

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The idea is simple - as the two
nations with over 90 percent of

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the world's nuclear weapons, the
United States and Russia have a

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responsibility to work together
to reduce our arsenals.

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And to ensure that our national
security is protected,

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the United States has an
interest in tracking Russia's

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nuclear arsenal through a
verification effort that puts

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U.S. inspectors on the ground.

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As President Reagan said when
he signed a nuclear arms treaty

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with the Soviet Union in
1987, "Trust, but verify."

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That is precisely what
the new START Treaty does.

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After nearly a full
year of negotiations,

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we completed an agreement
earlier this year that cuts by a

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third the number of long-range
nuclear weapons and delivery

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vehicles that the United
States and Russia can deploy,

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while ensuring that America
retains a strong nuclear

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deterrent, and can put
inspectors back on the

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ground in Russia.

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The Treaty also helped us
reset our relations with Russia,

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which leads to concrete benefits.

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For instance, Russia has been
indispensable to our efforts

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to enforce strong
sanctions on Iran,

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to secure loose nuclear
materials from terrorists,

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and to equip our
troops in Afghanistan.

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All of this will be put at risk
if the Senate does not pass the

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New START Treaty.

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Without ratification this year,
the United States will have no

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inspectors on the ground,
and no ability to verify

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Russian nuclear activities.

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So those who would block this
treaty are breaking President

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Reagan's rule - they want
to trust, but not verify.

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Without ratification, we put at
risk the coalition that we have

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built to put pressure on Iran,
and the transit routes through

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Russia that we use to equip
our troops in Afghanistan.

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And without ratification, we
risk undoing decades of American

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leadership on nuclear security,
and decades of bipartisanship

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on this issue.

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Our security and our position
in the world are at stake.

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Indeed, since the Reagan years,
every President has pursued a

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negotiated, verified,
arms reduction treaty.

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And every time that these
treaties have been reviewed

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by the Senate, they have
passed with over 85 votes.

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Bipartisan support for new
START could not be stronger.

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It has been endorsed by
Republicans from the Reagan

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Administration and both Bush
Administrations - including

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Colin Powell, George Shultz,
Jim Baker, and Henry Kissinger.

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And it was approved by the
Senate Foreign Relations

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Committee by a strong
bipartisan vote of 14-4.

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Over the last several months,
several questions have been

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asked about New START, and we
have answered every single one.

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Some have asked whether
it will limit our missile

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defense - it will not.

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Some, including Senator Jon Kyl,
have asked that we modernize our

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nuclear infrastructure for the
21st century - we are doing so,

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and plan to invest at least $85
billion in that effort over the

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next ten years - a
significant increase

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from the Bush Administration.

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Finally, some make no argument
against the Treaty - they just

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ask for more time.

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But remember this: it has
already been 11 months since

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we've had inspectors in Russia,
and every day that goes by

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without ratification is a
day that we lose confidence

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in our understanding of
Russia's nuclear weapons.

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If the Senate doesn't act
this year - after six months,

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18 hearings, and nearly a
thousand questions answered -

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it would have to start over
from scratch in January.

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The choice is clear: a failure
to ratify new START would be

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a dangerous gamble with
America's national security,

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setting back our understanding
of Russia's nuclear weapons,

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as well as our
leadership in the world.

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That is not what the
American people sent

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us to Washington to do.

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There is enough gridlock,
enough bickering.

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If there is one issue that
should unite us - as Republicans

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and Democrats - it should
be our national security.

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Some things are
bigger than politics.

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As Republican Dick Lugar
said the other day,

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"Every Senator has an obligation
in the national security

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interest to take a stand,
to do his or her duty."

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Senator Lugar is right.

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And if the Senate
passes this treaty,

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it will not be an achievement
for Democrats or Republicans -

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it will be a win for America.

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Thanks.