John Tierney: “the amendment I and my colleague, Rush Holt, are offering this evening is really quite simple. It reduces the $8.1…”

“the amendment I and my colleague, Rush Holt, are offering this evening is really quite simple. It reduces the $8.1 billion specified by the Missile Defense Agency by approximately $1 billion and takes a modest but necessary step in refocusing on missile defense policy. I think we should make no mistake about it, we have spent $107 billion since the days of the Reagan administration on missile defense. We have had years of unanticipated cost growth, unacceptable schedule delays, and unaccountable management by the Pentagon. It is time for a change in that policy. It is time for a change in how we address ballistic missile defense. We have plenty of other priority national security matters and more pressing homeland security needs to address. How much longer can Congress continue to acquiesce and authorize billions of dollars in funds for this deeply flawed system? The Pentagon continues to build before testing; it is a recipe for waste. We can tell my colleagues that if the status quo continues, the Congressional Budget Office projects the total cost for missile defense will peak in the year 2016 at about $15 billion per year, excluding cost risk. If you add in cost risk, the CBO knows that the Pentagon's projected investment needs for missile defense might go to $18 billion.”