Minority Whip, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is attempting to block ratification of the START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) after an agreement on the treaty was signed by the President Obama and Dimitry Medvedev in April.  Kyl claims there is not enough time during the current lame duck session of Congress, but skeptics point out that delaying the vote until the new Senate is seated gives the Republicans six more seats than currently which could boost Kyl's real agenda to garner billions more for nuclear weapons production as a "quid pro quo" for START ratification. Is Kyl playing politics? Or even jeopardizing national security as many experts in the field have stated, according to a document from the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation? The fact that START ratification is a top priority for the Obama administration - which is continuing to push for a vote despite Kyl's opposition - is considered another strong motivation for Republicans to block or dilute the effort.  According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Obama administration has already cow-towed to some of Kyl's demands, revising its 10-year budget for nuclear weapons with an increase in spending of "$4.1 billion over the next 5 years, over and above the more than $80 billion that the Obama administration already pledged for nuclear weapons (not including delivery vehicles) over the next ten years." START would shrink the U.S. and Russian arsenals of strategic warheads, and revive on-the-ground inspections that ceased when a previous treaty expired nearly a year ago.