Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

WASHINGTON (August 5) – Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson hailed legislation introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives that would make deployment of a national missile defense system an official policy goal of the United States.

"We have a responsibility to provide our citizens with a secure national defense, and right now our guard is down," Nicholson said. "The likelihood of a missile attack on this country is on the rise. Earlier this year, we learned that accurate Chinese missiles have been aimed at our shores, partially because our own missile technology has slipped through our fingers into the hands of our adversaries. Meanwhile weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them continue to spread into unstable areas of the world.

"Deployment of a national missile defense system should be a national priority. It’s long overdue. I urge congressional Democrats to drop their opposition and join the effort to safeguard our shores and our families."

Forty-one Democrats in the U. S. Senate blocked debate on similar legislation introduced by Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Daniel Inouye (D-HI) in May of this year. Attached are a subsequent op-ed column and a transcript of a radio commentary by Chairman Nicholson, a West Point graduate, on initial steps our military can take to provide a defense against missile attacks.