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Hoeven, Cramer stand with Trump on broken missile treaty

It was good to see North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer issue prompt statements of support Friday for President Trump regarding the president’s decision to suspend our obligations under the INF Treaty and withdraw completely if necessary.

“Let’s be clear: Russia has been violating this treaty for years, and their covert attempts to continue developing a missile system the (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty) explicitly prohibited is unacceptable. From day one, President Trump has made it clear he will not allow the U.S. to be the victim of foreign nations acting in bad faith. I support this administration and our NATO allies as they engage in effective arms control negotiations that will hold all parties accountable,” said Cramer.

“Russia is violating the terms of the INF treaty,” said Hoeven. “The U.S. with the support of our NATO allies will suspend the agreement in order to hold Russia accountable unless they come into compliance with the requirements under the treaty for intermediate-range nuclear weapons.”

According to the delegation, the U.S. will completely withdraw from its treaty obligations in six months, unless Russia comes back into compliance with the treaty and destroys all of its violating missiles, launchers and other equipment.

Yes, the subject is sobering. It sounds an awful lot like Trump trying to negotiate border security with Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the rest of the Democrats of today. And that is exactly why solid support for the president in these delicate times is crucial.

Hoeven and Cramer, we feel, were also voicing the will of the people of North Dakota on this one, which is no small detail.

One has to wonder whether the state’s delegation would have been able to stand together and have the president’s back had November’s election turned out differently. Or, should leaving the INF ultimately require a vote in Congress, would the wishes of the voters in North Dakota be dismissed, and punctuated by a celebratory “high-five” once again?

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