Their Comments Come As Obama, Gates, Seen Likely To Slash Or Kill Some Missile Defense Programs In Fiscal 2010 Budget Plan
Republicans Strongly Oppose Any Move To Gouge Missile Defense Funds Just As North Korea Shows Rising Missile Threat
Two powerful House Armed Services Committee (HASC) leaders decried the North Korean ballistic missile launch, but used language that still would permit cutting or killing some U.S. missile defense programs.
Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the HASC chairman, and Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif.), who chairs the HASC strategic forces subcommittee, issued a joint statement yesterday reacting to the missile launch. Tauscher soon may leave her seat in Congress to take a nonproliferation post in the State Department, working under President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
While Obama may on his own suggest cutting or ending some missile defense programs in the next defense budget, it is Congress that decides how much, or little, money each program receives.
On the one hand, Skelton and Tauscher said, “We strongly condemn North Korea’s test of a long-range ballistic missile. The test is a provocative action and a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which expressly prohibits North Korea from conducting further ballistic missile launches.”
And they explicitly concede that the North Korean development of long-range ballistic missile capabilities poses a grave threat to America and U.S. citizens.
“North Korea’s ballistic missile capability is a threat to the United States, our deployed forces, and our friends and allies in the region,” the lawmakers stated.
However, they indicated that the United States already is protected from such missile threats by currently deployed systems that Tauscher and Skelton previously have authorized fully, even as they moved to slash authorizations for other missile defense programs.
“The House Armed Services Committee has worked for many years to ensure that we have fully funded critical near-term missile defense systems, such as the existing Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, based in Alaska and California, the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system, and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system,” the lawmakers said. The sea-based Aegis weapon control system is provided by Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT], and the companion Standard Missile interceptor is provided by Raytheon Co. [RTN]. Lockheed also leads the THAAD program. They have received extensive authorizations from HASC.
The Ground-based (GMD) system is led by The Boeing Co. [BA]. This system is seen likely to be hit with budget cuts in funding for further development and production. Here, it may be important that Tauscher and Skelton used the word “existing,” referring to the GMD as it exists now.
And the lawmakers indicated they will continue to block missile defense programs by demanding ever-more testing of their systems, which can consume years, delaying production and deployment.
“We have continued to push to make certain that our missile defenses are sufficiently tested so that we have a high degree of confidence that they will work if needed,” the representatives stated.
Rather than saying the North Korean missile launch proves the need to develop all of the U.S. missile defense systems, including those not yet operational, Skelton and Tauscher urged further negotiations with North Korea.
The North for decades has entered talks, and even reached agreements, to forego nuclear weapons development and missile programs. And yet Pyongyang has violated agreements and United Nations resolutions by building and testing nuclear weapons, and the North also has continued developing ever longer-range missile capabilities.
However, Skelton and Tauscher wish to pursue further negotiations with the isolated communist regime headed by Kim Jung Il.
“We call on North Korea to cease any further ballistic missile launches and return to the six-party talks without any preconditions,” Skelton and Tauscher said. “We will support President Obama’s efforts to work with the international community to appropriately address North Korea’s actions.”
Missile Defense Cuts Opposed
Separately, Republicans in Congress condemned any move to rip funds from missile defense programs, just when North Korea is demonstrating that the missile threat facing the United States is soaring, not diminishing.
Rep. John McHugh of New York, ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said he wishes President Obama to provide solid funding for missile defense programs.
“I urge the President to continue investing in defense capabilities, such as a strong, layered missile defense system that will protect the United States and our allies, McHugh said.
He condemned the North Korean missile launch as an attempt to gain intercontinental ballistic missile technology. Even though the missile didn’t travel as far as expected, the test still shows that North Korea has gained a major and disturbing advance in its missile expertise.
“North Korea seems to have made significant progress in its long-range ballistic missile technology, and will view it as a success simply because the international community allowed it to happen,” McHugh stated.
A similar view came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), whose state is home to part of the GMD missile defense system.
“Regardless of whether North Korea’s intention was to test a ballistic missile or put a satellite into orbit using ballistic missile technology, it was illegal,” Murkowski said.
And the launch also revealed a growing threat posed by North Korean missiles, she said, a threat that should be met by robust funding for U.S. missile defense systems.
“With this launch, I remain disappointed to hear continued rumors of budget cuts to our missile defense programs,” she added. “The firing of this missile illustrates the critical role these systems play in our nation’s defense. In light of the actions taken by North Korea, now is not the time to make cuts to these essential programs.”