Trent Lott: “I rise in support and am a proud sponsor of S. 257, the National Missile Defense Act of 1999. If enacted, it would make…”

“I rise in support and am a proud sponsor of S. 257, the National Missile Defense Act of 1999. If enacted, it would make the policy of the United States to deploy, as soon as is technologically possible, an effective national missile defense system capable of defending the territory of the United States against limited ballistic missile attack, whether accidental, unauthorized, or deliberate. As I go around the country and I talk about this issue, people are surprised, stunned, to hear that we do not have this missile defense capability right now. They think that if there happened to be a rogue missile launched, accidentally or even intended, we would be able to just knock that out, no problem. When they find out we do not have that technology in place now, they are greatly alarmed. So I commend the principal sponsors of this bipartisan legislation, Senator Cochran of Mississippi and Senator Inouye of Hawaii, for their diligent efforts to ensure that all 50 States--indeed, all Americans-- enjoy protection against missile attack.”