Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. TURNER. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop for their hard work and dedication to ensure that we have a great bill for our vets and men and women in uniform, but also for their tenacity.

I want to thank Chairman Culberson for his efforts and working with me on this amendment and also Ranking Member Bishop.

Today, I rise in support of an amendment to provide funding for the planning, design, and construction of an additional missile defense site capable of protecting the homeland from a long-range ballistic missile attack.

To date, two Presidents, as well as three Secretaries of Defense have recognized the advantage of an additional missile defense site in order to provide additional protection against a long-range ballistic missile threat from regions like the Middle East.
As you may be aware, we currently possess only two sites, both located on the west coast, limiting our ability to target and intercept incoming ICBMs.

Since 2007, the United States Northern Command, the combatant command in charge of defending the homeland, has, on numerous occasions, recommended the construction of an east coast site for this purpose.

Just last year, in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee--and, again, in testimony this year--General Jacoby, the U.S. Northern commander stated, ``The third site, if you built it, would give us better weapons access, it would give us increased inventory and increased battle space with regards to a threat coming from the direction of the Middle East.''

As China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea push for more advance launch vehicles, the construction of an east coast site will dramatically improve the ability of our military to intercept incoming threats by increasing the opportunity to engage and defeat those threats.

With the 2009 cancellation of the missile defense site in Poland, coupled with an increased threat environment, it is imperative that we continue to act to protect the homeland from the long-range ballistic missile threat.

Thank you for your consideration to this amendment. I want to, again, thank Chairman Culberson for his leadership in protecting our men and women in uniform, our national security, and our veterans.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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