Barbara Boxer: “We are going to face a series of amendments on the missile defense system, and I believe I have an amendment which I am…”

“We are going to face a series of amendments on the missile defense system, and I believe I have an amendment which I am surprised we even have to have a long debate about because it is so straightforward. It says let us not spend the money to deploy the system until it has been tested and until it has been certified as passing those tests by the one office that has the capability of doing it, which is the Office of Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. We want to ensure that the ballistic missile defense system the President plans to deploy later this year has passed these tests. In 1983, Congress created the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation--DOT&E. It is now headed by Mr. Thomas Christie. The Office of DOT&E was created under the ``fly before you buy'' law. ``Fly before you buy'' makes a lot of sense for our taxpayers. Frankly, when it comes to defending our country, my goodness, how much more important can it be before we tell our people they are protected that we actually know they are protected and that the tests which have been done have been signed off on by the very office that has been created for that purpose? The office oversees the operational testing programs of all major military systems. Operational testing is intended to be as realistic as possible.…”