Political Quotes

“I know in a few moments we will be voting. I did want to come to the floor and speak strongly in support of the Sessions missile defense amendment. More than 23 years have passed since President Reagan announced his Strategic Defense Initiative--the idea that our Nation should develop the ability to protect itself against the threat of missile attack by being able to shoot down incoming missiles. President Reagan's idea has been very controversial ever since it was announced. For some reason there has always been a very substantial school of thought, especially on the other side of the aisle, that we are better off being defenseless against missile attack; that instead of being able to shoot down incoming missiles, we should rely instead exclusively on the threat that we will strike back after someone else attacks us first. This policy of intentional vulnerability--of intentionally exposing our cities and our people to the threat of missile attack--has never made sense to me or to the American people. But that hasn't stopped repeated efforts over the years by opponents of missile defense to reduce or even eliminate funding for research, development, and deployment of missile defenses. Fortunately, Republican administrations and Republican Congresses over the last 23 years have fought to continue our national investment in missile defense.…”