House Panel Considers Cuts for Missile Defense

[cal04]

Source: THOM SHANKER

The Bush administration’s proposal to construct two American missile defense bases in Europe has roiled relations with Russia and provoked sharp questioning even in NATO capitals, where critics ask: With the system still unproven and, under the best of circumstances, years from completion, why rush construction now?

Now the Democratic majority in Congress is moving toward budget cuts aimed at slowing the administration’s plans to break ground this year on one of the bases, in Poland. Representative Ellen O. Tauscher, a California Democrat who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the committee would approve “only prudent investments” in what she labeled “high-risk, immature programs” to shoot down long-range missiles, like the system advocated for Europe.

The administration wants to begin digging silos for 10 interceptors in Poland and laying the foundation for a tracking radar in the Czech Republic this year to defend Europe against what it calls a looming long-range ballistic missile threat from Iran. But in a vote scheduled for Wednesday, the House committee was expected to approve only a study of the “political, technical, operational, force structure and budgetary aspects” of the European sites.

The bill, still under consideration late Wednesday, would cut $160 million from funds proposed for construction in Poland, as part of $764 million in cuts from the $8.9 billion the administration has sought for the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency in 2008.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/washington/10missile.html?hp

[pinto]

1. Good move, imo. "high-risk, immature programs"...

:thumbsup:

[RC]

2. Now if only they would cut the rest of the funds for this insanity

And spend it on We, the people...

[Vincardog]

3. Second that end the insanity,

[Theduckno2]

4. A program needing some oversight and along with cuts in funding.

Missile defense was such an easy sell in the post September 11th world with its state sponsored terrorism, rogue states and, let's not forget, "Axis of Evil".

"The price tag of the European system is small by comparison, at $3.5 billion." Just so much pocket change isn't it? :eyes:

[bgmark2]

5. expensive

Yes those are expensive anti ballistic missiles that would be 350 million per missile when a trident 2 only costs 30 million with 12 warheads