On the recordDecember 17, 2010
the missile defense program is not covered or limited by the New START treaty. That is about as simple a statement as I can make, and there has been an awful lot of debate about the missile defense program and allegations that it is limited by this treaty. Let's listen to the experts. The Secretary of Defense first, in testimony before the Armed Services Committee on June 17, said: The treaty will not constrain the United States from deploying the most effective missile defenses possible nor impose additional costs or barriers on those defenses. I remain confident in the U.S. missile defense program, which has made considerable advancements, including the testing and development of the SM-3 missile, which we will deploy in Europe. Secretary of State Clinton, in testimony before the Armed Services Committee on June 17: The treaty does not constrain our missile defense efforts. I want to underscore this because I know there have been a lot of concerns about it, and I anticipate a lot of questions. Then she said about the preamble: The treaty's preamble does include language acknowledging the relationship between strategic offensive and defensive forces, but that is simply a statement of fact. It, too, does not in any way constrain our missile defense programs.
