NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997
(Senate - June 28, 1996)
Mr. BROWN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
AMENDMENT NO. 4413
Mr. BROWN. I send an amendment to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Colorado [Mr. Brown] proposes an amendment numbered 4413.
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, a number of the Members of the Senate have reviewed this proposed amendment in the past week. This version of it that is being offered this morning is different than what has been circulated before. Specifically subparagraph No. 5 is dropped. That is one that referred to the strong statement of policy with regard to the need to protect American citizens from this threat that is thought to be of concern by some. So it is dropped. And then language is modified throughout that is not significantly impacted but does solve the problem.
Mr. President, the heart of the resolution is simply to ask for the annual statement on the threat that faces the United States from incoming ballistic missiles utilizing warheads that could involve nuclear technology or chemical or biological weapons.
Why is it important? There is no question that the parties disagree at times about the need for an anti-ballistic missile system. My sense is that the disagreement comes from the significant cost. But I do not believe that there is any disagreement over the concern over the potential of a missile attack. The President himself has expressed in strong words this concerns of a potential missile attack.
Let me quote from Executive Order 12938. This was issued by the President in November 1994.
[Page: S7248]
I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, find that the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, weapons of mass destruction, and the means of delivering such weapons constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States, and hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat.
Mr. President, that was almost 2 years ago. If anything, the threat to our country has increased since then. I understand there would be a deliberate and extended debate over the amount of money we might spend in terms of developing antiballistic missiles, but I do not understand why we would want to make those decisions in the dark. We do need to be at least aware of the threat. We do need to have a reasonable assessment of what damage could be done from these weapons. We do need to properly evaluate whether we should move ahead with that research and development or not. We need to have some rational evaluation of what damage that could be avoided and what problems we would be averting if we did develop a antiballistic missile system.
My hope is that this will be accepted by both sides. It has been accepted by the majority side thus far. My hope is that the concessions we have made in the modification are acceptable to the minority side. If they are not, we ought to vote on this. If America intends to close its eyes to what the threat is and not make a reasonable evaluation of the dangers we face, then I think we stand in danger of not making a rational decision. We should not make a decision that affects our future national security out of ignorance. That is what this report is all about, to give us a reasonable, thoughtful, objective assessment of what danger is. Political leaders can then make their judgments, but we should not make it in the dark.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the distinguished Senator from Georgia and myself and the Senator from Arizona, Mr. McCain, on behalf of the chairman of the committee, Mr. Thurmond, have examined this. The Senator from Colorado has made significant changes which puts this amendment, in our judgment, in a posture that it can be accepted.
Bear in mind that yesterday the Senate adopted an amendment to address the U.S. vulnerability to terrorist attacks involving use of weapons of mass destruction. It was sponsored by Senators Nunn and Lugar and Domenici, and I covered the floor debate on that. So I think this amendment is supplemental in many respects of earlier action taken by the Senate on this bill, and therefore we will accept the amendment.
The amendment is now at the desk. Therefore, Madam President, I urge adoption of the amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Snowe). Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 4413) was agreed to.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. McCAIN. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, again, the managers of the bill are urging Senators to come to the floor. We are proceeding with the hope and expectation this bill can be concluded today.
Seeing no Senator at this moment seeking recognition, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. NUNN. Madam President, the Brown amendment has been accepted. I had given my side's approval on that.
There is some language in here that I still want to look at. It is accomplished. But I am glad to work with the Senator from Colorado. I share his concern about the need for a defense system, a ballistic missile defense system.
I think surely we will be able to work together to find some language that needs to be changed somewhat in conference.
Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I wanted to indicate my appreciation to the Senator from Georgia and also indicate it is not my intention to add new language that unnecessarily inflames the issue. To the extent there is a way we can work together on language that needs to be modified, I appreciate his suggestion. I will be happy to work with this Senator.
Mr. NUNN. I thank the Senator from Colorado.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
