Senate to Vote on START as Soon as Tomorrow

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to bring the New START nuclear treaty to the floor as soon as Wednesday and is confident he can secure 67 votes to ratify it.

“We could get to the START treaty as soon as tomorrow,” said Jim Manley, Reid’s spokesman. “I believe there are the votes to ratify the treaty.”

Ratification of START would be a major victory for President Obama, who has pushed it as one of his highest priorities since the mid-term election.

Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), the lead GOP negotiator with the administration on START, has said there isn’t enough time for the Senate to ratify the treaty in the lame-duck session.   But Republicans face some pressure to support the deal, which has the support of every living former secretary of State, as well as the military.