Dear Senators Hatch and Bennett,

Please support ratification of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia is a modest, but critical first step in reducing the global nuclear threat, preventing the further spread of nuclear weapons, decreasing the risk of nuclear terrorism, and increasing national security. The U.S. and Russia possess 95 percent of the world's nuclear weapons. The treaty will reduce each country's deployed strategic warheads to 1,550, roughly a 30 percent cut. The current surplus of nuclear weapons left over from the Cold War does not address today's very real threats to our national security. Ratification of the New START agreement sends a clear signal to the rest of the world that the U.S. is serious about reducing our global nuclear threat, in addition to protecting the American people from the nuclear perils of the 21st century.

Thank you.