Political Quotes

“First of all, the gentleman that preceded me is talking about the use of existing technology, which means we could deploy that right now. We have that equipment. That is not the issue. The gentleman is trying to substitute existing technology for future technology. The fact, is in answer to the gentleman who preceded him, Mr. Spratt, the fact is any system is vulnerable to some degree. I mean, you could take out a ground-based system; you could take out a sea-based system; you could take out a space-based system. They are all vulnerable. The point is, are we going to provide some umbrella of protection for the American people? Mr. Chairman, I happen to think we should look for the best technology at the best available price, and we should not start blocking out certain technologies just because they happen to be exotic for somebody who never believed in them in the first place. That is exactly the position of the author of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I would hope that Members would understand, we are not the experts. Let us develop the system. Actually, I have read the language very carefully, from the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Spratt] to the ballistic missile defense program or the bill that we have offered on the floor, and he does not commit to deploying. The gentleman says he looks forward to developing a system that may be deployed by the year 2003. Mr. Chairman, we say we will deploy by the year 2003.”