On the recordJune 10, 2015
I offer a very simple amendment that would help keep America's strategic forces strong and robust. My amendment would make sure that the U.S. Air Force keeps the air-launched cruise missile in their arsenal. That is the AGM-86 and its variants C and D. The replacement missile, which I agree needs to happen, the long- range standoff weapon, has faced continuous delays. At this point, the replacement missile still remains years and years away from fielding. I would like to applaud Chairman Frelinghuysen and the committee for taking action in light of the numerous setbacks and delays of this program by appropriately rephasing funds in the underlying bill. With such development uncertainty, I am disappointed to say that further delays are almost guaranteed. In this high-threat environment, with heightened Russian aggression, their violations of the INF Treaty, which are now public, and also hostile Chinese adventurism in the South Pacific, we need to ensure that this Nation's defense is without a gap. We simply can't afford to take these weapons out of the arsenal at this current moment until a replacement is up and operational. It is critically important that we maintain our existing inventory.
