Congressional Caucus Agenda ; Promotion of Democracy and the Rule of Law Should Rank High

Summary

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Sept. 23, Congress launched the bipartisan Congressional Russia Caucus, chaired by Rep. Tom Price, Georgia Republican, and Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio Democrat. It couldn't be timelier, coming on the heels of the administration's unrequited concessions to Russia in numerous areas: missile defense, strategic arms talks and the sale of Russian arms to Iran and Venezuela.

The caucus aims to improve relations with Russia. This is challenging, as it needs to cast a critical eye on the executive branch's lopsided Russian agenda. Since January, the administration has given top priority to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) follow-on negotiations. They're rushing to complete it before the treaty expires in December.

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Congressional Caucus Agenda ; Promotion of Democracy and the Rule of Law Should Rank High

In its quest to push forward the post-START treaty and secure Moscow's help on Iran, the administration dropped plans for missile defense in Central Europe. President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pocketed the concessions, smiled and dem...

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