Max Baucus: “securing this nation's borders and keeping Americans safe from terrorist threats is of the utmost importance to this…”

“securing this nation's borders and keeping Americans safe from terrorist threats is of the utmost importance to this body. That is why I support the men and women who serve this country. Thousands of men and women are currently deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world. We count on so many of these brave men and women to protect our communities at a moment's notice and for that, too, we thank them. We want them to come home safe to their families, and to find good jobs and good healthcare waiting for them. The State of Montana, known affectionately for its ``big sky'' and small population, plays a key role in protecting this nation. At the core of this country's national defense is the ICBM program maintained by Malmstrom Air Force Base. This program must be fully modernized and I support Malmstrom's mission 100 percent. Montana also shoulders a unique responsibility to protect this nation due to the 600-mile land border--the equivalent distance of Washington, DC, to Chicago--we share with Canada. This border is porous and topographically diverse and it constitutes the front line in the war on terrorism.”