Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, just a few words of welcome today. Im tom blanton. Im director of the National Security archive at George Washington university and honored to be one of the organizers of today. This is the day, 25 years ago, that president george h. W. Bush signed the nunnlugar legislation into law. Now, being document fetishists, we scanned the bush library for the photographs of that extraordinary moment, and none exist. There was not even a signing ceremony, which gives you a sense of the kind of mixed opinion inside the Bush Administration about this Congressional Initiative in Foreign Policy. But the judgment of history is in. The wall street journal called the nunnlugar legislation one of the most prescient pieces of legislation ever enacted. And today on the National Security archive website you can see the declassified documents showing the real danger of that time, the first ever declassified list of the 3,429 soviet Strategic Nuclear warheads that
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, just a few words of welcome today. Im tom blanton. Im director of the National Security archive at George Washington university and honored to be one of the organizers of today. This is the day, 25 years ago, that president george h. W. Bush signed the nunnlugar legislation into law. Now, being document fetishists, we scanned the bush library for the photographs of that extraordinary moment, and none exist. There was not even a signing ceremony, which gives you a sense of the kind of mixed opinion inside the Bush Administration about this Congressional Initiative in Foreign Policy. But the judgment of history is in. The wall street journal called the nunnlugar legislation one of the most prescient pieces of legislation ever enacted. And today on the National Security archive website you can see the declassified documents showing the real danger of that time, the first ever declassified list of the 3,429 soviet Strategic Nuclear warheads that
The chaplain let us pray. Immortal, invisible, god only wise, we look to you today for wisdom, as our lawmakers seek to do what is best for our nation and world. Lord, we admit that our human intellects have limits, for we know not what tomorrow holds, but you do. So guide us, sovereign king, we are pilgrims on planet earth. We are weak but you are mighty; lead us with your powerful hand. Amen the presiding officer please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance i pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The presiding officer the clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington d. C. , september 6, 2013. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable al franken, a senator from the state of minnesota, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed patrick j. Le