Barbara Boxer: “the Durbin amendment to the fiscal year 2001 Defense authorization bill is a common sense proposal that will ensure that…”

“the Durbin amendment to the fiscal year 2001 Defense authorization bill is a common sense proposal that will ensure that a National Missile Defense system is properly tested before it becomes operational. President Clinton is expected to make a decision in the next few months on whether or not to begin the deployment of a National Missile Defense system. He has said that the decision will be based on four criteria: the readiness of the technology, the impact on arms control and our relations with Russia, the cost of the system, and the threat. Based on these criteria, I do not believe that a decision to deploy should be made at this time. This amendment deals with just one of these criteria, the readiness of the technology. It says that the National Missile Defense system should be tested against realistic decoys and other counter-measures before it becomes operational. Initial operating capability is now scheduled for 2005. Let me be clear, this amendment would not prevent a deployment decision this year, nor would it delay the deployment of the system. Mr. President, this is no different from school. if you cannot pass the exams, you cannot graduate. In this case, if NMD cannot pass a test against realistic counter-measures, it will not be made operational. There will be no social promotion of missile defense. The strategic implications of this system are too great.”