Mike Levin: “the Defense authorization conference report before us is somewhat different from the earlier conference report the…”

“the Defense authorization conference report before us is somewhat different from the earlier conference report the President vetoed. For instance, it removes the provision that would have created the most immediate security problem. The conferees have removed the extreme provisions mandating deployment of national missile defenses that are not warranted by the threat, would cost tens of billions of dollars, and would violate the ABM Treaty. We had extensive debate on this issue in this body. The Senate-passed Defense authorization bill contained very carefully crafted, bipartisan compromise language setting out parameters for national missile defense [NMD] that would not violate or commit us to violate the ABM Treaty, and would not needlessly provoke Russia into a more aggressive defense posture, nor provide a reason for Russia to abandon nuclear weapon reductions. The original conference report substituted language that was strongly opposed by our top military leadership and that President Clinton warned would result in a veto. This new conference report drops the language on national missile defense, although it retains a half-billion dollar increase in NMD above what the Pentagon requested. It leaves in place current law regarding the objectives and policies of this country on NMD, which are compliant with the ABM Treaty.”