With concertedeffortsby States Partiesand the Secretariat, the number of States Parties to the Conventionhas reached 188, making it one of the most universally accepted arms control treaties.
However broad the President's authority may be to recognize States and governments of States under the "receive Ambassadors" clause, it is necessarily limited by the specific Constitutional requirement for Senate advice and consent on the making of treaties.
As the Senate exercises its responsibilities as a co-equal branch in the making of international treaties, its real expertise and alternative visions about the feasibility, utility and desirability of arms control must be strengthened, acknowledged and respected.
There are a number of important treaties which the Committee intends to take up during 1998, and we must be assured of your Administration's cooperation in making certain that these treaties receive a comprehensive examination by the Senate.