Jim Inhofe: “Unless we recapitalize, we are not going to be ready to meet the threats of the future.'' That is the Chief of Staff of…”

“Unless we recapitalize, we are not going to be ready to meet the threats of the future.'' That is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Ron Fogelman, March 14, 1996. In the same meeting: ``If we do not modernize, we ultimately place future readiness at risk.'' That was Adm. Michael Boorda, same meeting. ``Further deferral of modernization will incur significant risks to future readiness.'' This is Gen. Dennis Reimer of the U.S. Army, March 13, 1996. It is there. The Senator from Texas talked about another great problem, and that is the problem that we have cut back, as a result of the veto of the DOD bill last year, on our ability to defend ourselves from a national missile attack. We do not have a National Missile Defense System in place. Most of the people in America believe we have one, and when they find out we do not have one, it scares them to death. Why are they scared? Because such great people as Jim Woolsey, who was the CIA Director under two Democrat Presidents, said that currently we have a great threat out there. We know of 25 nations that have or are in the final stages of completion of a weapon of mass destruction, either biological, chemical, or nuclear, and are developing the missile means of delivering it. So we are imperiled, Mr. President. We have a great deal to do to rebuild our defenses, to go back and take us out of the posture we were in in 1980 when we could not afford spare parts.…”