Senate committee OKs arms reduction pact

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a critical first vote on the U.S.-Russian strategic arms agreement Thursday.

The committee voted 14-2 to approve the treaty signed in April by U.S. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, The Hill reported.

The agreement will reduce missiles, warheads and launchers in the United States and Russia and would replace a previous agreement that expired in December.

The committee vote followed months of hearings conducted by the committee led by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Kerry told The Hill newspaper he expected the treaty would have a final ratification vote in a lame-duck session, although saying it was possible the pact could be considered before the Nov. 2 elections.

Republican Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee, Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Richard Lugar of Indiana voted for the treaty, as did all of the committee's Democrats.

Kerry and Lugar, the ranking GOP member, praised the bipartisan vote, with Kerry saying he was confident the treaty would be ratified by the full Senate, The Hill said. Ratification would require 67 votes in the Senate; the House does not vote on treaties.

"This is the best of bipartisanship, and it's the way the United States Senate and certainly this committee works best," Kerry said. "But our work is not done. The full Senate now has to debate and ratify this, and it's our hope that can happen quickly, before the end of the year. We will work to try to make that happen."