Senate agrees to open talks on new arms treaty with Russia.

[elleng]

After months of wrangling over the future of the U.S. atomic-weapons complex, the Senate voted Wednesday to take up a new nuclear arms-reduction treaty with Russia, opening debate on a pact that President Obama regards as critical to his foreign-policy agenda.

The Senate decided 66 to 32 to proceed, far more than the simple majority required. But the roll call was seen as somewhat of a proxy for the final vote, when the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) will need a supermajority of 67 votes to pass.

Treaty supporters were heartened to get the vote of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), an influential Republican who has been courted by the White House, as well as those of eight other Republicans. New START needs at least nine Republican votes for ratification.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/15/AR2010121507159.html