Sam Gejdenson: “Mr. Chairman, 50 years ago when the Korean War started, few of us could have foreseen the kind of regime that would…”

“Mr. Chairman, 50 years ago when the Korean War started, few of us could have foreseen the kind of regime that would control North Korea for half a century. This June, after half a century of almost complete isolation, the leaders of North and South Korea will meet directly for the first time. The agreements that have been worked out by the United States that have stopped the two attempts at a nuclear fissionable plant in North Korea and their missile program have been the first major gains in diplomatic efforts in that 50-year period as well. We come here to the floor today basically arguing that 435 Members of Congress ought to negotiate the liability issues surrounding the building of the two plants that we have guaranteed would be built in North Korea in order for them to stop their own nuclear program and their own missile program. Now, some on this floor are ready to spend $60 billion to stop the possibility of a North Korean missile aimed at the United States coming here and doing damage to our citizenry, something we ought to be worried about.”