William R. Richardson: “Today, we consider going back to the cold war. Today, we consider spending billions on a system to defend against a…”

“Today, we consider going back to the cold war. Today, we consider spending billions on a system to defend against a threat that no longer exists. What is the use of a space-based system? Who are we defending against? What is the threat that demands a space-based missile defense system? The last time star wars was considered in 1983 the Reagan administration estimated its cost at $120 billion. The threat to our security at home and abroad is not an ICBM attack; it is tactical missiles. Our experience in the Persian Gulf war proves the point. A star wars system would have been useless to defend our troops against Scud attacks in the gulf. This political proposal has no legs. The Joint Chiefs do not consider star wars a priority. Budget Questions We are talking about building a system that would cost billions without having a hearing on it and with more glaring defense needs. Ensuring funding for training, development, pay raises, and housing will be impossible if we force feed this political program down DOD's throat. Since 1983, we have spent $30 billion on a space-based defense system and there are few tangible results. This is fiscal irresponsibility. This is jeopardizing troop readiness and force modernization.”