On the recordSeptember 11, 2012
several of us have talked about the tragic terrorist attack on America 11 years ago today. I think we all remember where we were and what we were doing at the time. I remember so well going up to New York to Ground Zero and seeing the people who were involved and talking to the families of some of the firemen who lost their lives. As tragic as that is, I have to ask the question: Is there any doubt that those terrorists, if they had the ability to send a weapon over to the United States, would do that? I look back sometimes wistfully to the days of the Cold War when it was the USSR and the United States. They were predictable and we were predictable. But it is different. Such concepts as mutually assured destruction at that time were somewhat meaningful and were very effective. It is not effective now because we are dealing with people who want to die. It is a different environment altogether. On this 11th year, on this particular day, when I think about President Obama's first budget 4 years ago, he did a lot of things I thought were very destructive to our military, and I have talked about that on the floor several times. He did away with the F-22, the only fifth-generation vehicle. He did away with our lift capacity of the C- 17. He did away with the future combat system. I think people are aware of that, but something people may not be aware of that happened in that same budget was doing away with the Poland site of the ground-based interceptor.…
