09 September 1998
CONGRESSIONAL REPORT, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
(Senate on missile defense) (410) SENATE FALLS SHORT ON MOVE TO FORCE MISSILE DEFENSE BILL VOTE The U.S. Senate fell one vote short of cutting off debate on a Republican-sponsored measure to speed development of a national missile defense system, effectively killing the proposal for the moment. But Republican leaders in the House of Representatives have indicated that they plan to bring up a similar measure in that chamber later in the month, and see the likelihood of approval there. That could encourage renewed Senate consideration of the proposal, which would make it U.S. policy to deploy a ballistic missile defense as soon as technologically feasible. The plan involves a scaled-down version of the space-based defense shield against intercontinental nuclear missiles that was championed by former President Reagan in the early 1980s -- a plan that opponents labelled "Star Wars." The Senate vote September 9 was 59-41, with 60 needed to force a final vote on the substance of the issue. All 55 Senate Republicans were joined by four Democrats: Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. The vote came soon after General Henry Shelton, chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff, urged rejection of the measure. Critics consider the proposed expenditure a potential waste of thousands of millions of dollars on a missile defense system that might never work. And Senate opponents argued that terrorists and rogue states are far more likely to attack with biological weapons or smuggled-in nuclear devices than by way of missiles. Further, they said, proceeding would violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the then Soviet Union. The administration has said it will decide in 2000 whether a missile threat to the United States exists and prepare for deployment of a defense system within three years if it does. Republican advocates of the defense system argued that growing instability in Russia and recent missile tests by North Korea boost security risks to the United States. "This insistence on playing Russian roulette with the rogue dictators of the world -- daring them to attempt such an attack while knowing full well there is nothing we can do about it -- is beyond foolish," said Senator Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican. "All the evidence supports the fact that a missile attack will be attempted. The question is not will it happen, but when," he added.
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