J.C. Watts: “President Reagan said, ``If we are forced to fight, we must have the means and the determination to prevail or we will…”

“President Reagan said, ``If we are forced to fight, we must have the means and the determination to prevail or we will not have what it takes to secure the peace.'' This then, is the B-2 Bomber's reason for existence. The chairman and members of the National Security Committee have clearly supported the B-2. Numerous studies indicate that the United States will require more than 20 B-2 bombers to support the U.S. national military strategy and that makes the B-2 a critical part of our war fighting arsenal and will play a unique role in each and every air and land battle that lies ahead. The aging fleet of B-52 and B-1 bombers will see their performance decline in the next 5 to 10 years and can never perform the stealth mission of the B-2. In fact, there are no new bombers on the drawing board for the next 20 years. Bottomline: The B-2 is an installment on Congress' promise to revitalize our national security posture. I challenge each of you to think about the direction of this world. The notion that we are safe--or war is less likely--should be dismissed. The reality is their names may have changed but they are still there--ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, and nuclear weapons. We must have the ability to counter that threat. The time is now--I urge your vote of support for the B-2.”