Mike Levin: “Another thing the bill does that it should not do, in my judgment, is to provide more than $10 billion for missile…”

“Another thing the bill does that it should not do, in my judgment, is to provide more than $10 billion for missile defense, including more than a half billion dollars for additional interceptors, without imposing basic "fly before you buy" requirements on the program. It is unfortunate that the administration is so insistent on deploying a missile defense system as soon as possible that it is unwilling to comply with even the most basic operational test and evaluation requirements. If we want a missile defense that works rather than one that sits on the ground and soaks up money, we should not shy away from realistic testing requirements. The law and common sense require realistic testing requirements. Right now, they are not going to be followed.”