Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, let me say he has gotten beaten up a little bit over this rule. Let me tell Members something that the chairman did insist on that was very important from a national security standpoint. That is that he has allowed and the committee has allowed, and should be commended for letting us put in four amendments that have to do with the transfer of satellite technology, which is at this point a very critical issue for national security. Most people now know that China has been launching American satellites with their Long March rockets, which are essentially the same rockets that are aimed with nuclear-tipped warheads at cities in the United States. We have an interest, obviously, in not accuratizing those missiles or making them more reliable. Unfortunately, after a failed launch in 1996, it has been alleged that Loral and Hughes, two of our satellite companies, engaged with the Chinese scientists after one of the satellites had gone down, and it was a $200 million package, engaged with the Chinese scientists and engineers and showed them what they were doing wrong with respect to these Long March rockets, which have nuclear-tipped missiles which are aimed at the United States. The Department of Defense issued a statement that said American security interests have been harmed.”