The Senate should scrap two provisions in its Defense Authorizationbill that would block space-based missile defenses and imposeunreasonable delays on fielding a missile defense.
The debate over missile defense has shifted from whether missiledefense should be pursued as a matter of principle to whetherdeploying such a defense will be effective in practice. Victory inthe debate over the principle of fielding a missile defense must befollowed by victory in the debate over fielding a truly effectivedefense for the American people.
On May 7, 2009, the Obama Administration announced its FY 2010 defense budget which reduces missile defense spending by $1.62billion. The programs that require funds include the Ground-basedMidcourse Defense (GMD) interceptors and the Multiple Kill Vehicle(MKV). Congress must confront the Obama Administration over itsopposition to placing missile defense interceptors where they canbe most effective in space.