Republicans oppose BMD budget cuts plan

WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- House Republicans are opposing proposed cuts in the U.S. ballistic missile defense budget.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, has offered an amendment "stating that the sense of Congress is to develop and deploy a layered and robust missile defense capable of intercepting missiles in boost, midcourse and terminal phases of flight."

However, committee Democrats blocked the amendment on a procedural second-degree amendment, a Republican House spokesman said in a statement.

"I'm not sure we should be slowing down the development and fielding of certain elements of our missile defense system that could prove critical to our nation's defense -- especially in light of North Korea's test of several short-range missiles and a longer-range Taepo-Dong-2 missile and Iran's continued development and test of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles," said Hunter.

Rep. Terry Everett, R-Ala., the ranking Republican of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee, said he was "concerned about the $764 million top-line reduction levied on the Missile Defense Agency, especially when progress is being seen in so many of their programs."

Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., proposed an amendment to fully restore the $764 million to the MDA budget, but it failed by a vote of 34-24.

Franks said, "While some in Congress remain intent on cutting missile defense, our enemies also remain intent. North Korea and Iran, among others, are intent on building faster, longer, and more sophisticated ballistic missiles."

However, the Strategic Forces Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., has already restored some key funding for the Airborne Laser project and for some other BMD activities.