Clinton pushes new arms treaty

WELLINGTON (AP):

United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday urged the Senate to move quickly in a lame-duck session to ratify a new arms control treaty with Russia.

Visiting the capital of New Zealand, Clinton said the Obama administration has the votes to approve the START treaty and said it would be her "preference" for a vote to be held before the new Congress takes over in January. Republicans, who picked up several seats in Tuesday's midterms, may want to delay the vote until new members are sworn in.

"We are working hard to pass the treaty," Clinton told reporters at a news conference with New Zealand's prime minister. "We believe we have enough votes to pass it in the Senate, it's just a question of when it will be brought to the vote."