ACTION ALERT - the debate continues

Visit our News page LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT!! MISSILE DEFENSE FUNDING – PART III CONGRESS CONTINUES THE DEBATE by Lisa Piraneo, Director of Government Relations Dear Solstice, Last week, the buzz on Capitol Hill was all about the tremendous impact that the ACT! for America grassroots network had on the missile defense debate in the U.S. House of Representatives, when the House Armed Services Committee debated the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization Bill. Again, many thanks for heeding our request to make those critical phone calls. I assure you, it did make a difference and our views are being heard by our federal elected officials. But our work is not over. Missile Defense funding is still on the table as the U.S. Congress continues its work on the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization bill THIS WEEK. As many of you may already know, work on legislation is first done at the Committee level, and then moves to consideration by the full chambers of the House and Senate. Specifically, today, Tuesday, June 23rd, the U.S. Senate will begin considering its version of the FY2010 Defense Authorization bill, and funding for missile defense is once again on the table. On Thursday of this week, June 25th, the full House of Representatives will vote on their version of this bill. In addition to cutting the Missile Defense budget by $1.2 billion, the Administration is directing almost a billion dollars from the remaining balance to theater missile defense. In other words, they are shifting the focus from national missile defense (homeland defense) to theater missile defense (which protects US deployed forces and allies, but not America). THE FOLLOWING ACTION IS NEEDED FROM YOU, OUR ACT! FOR AMERICA GRASSROOTS ADVOCATE! Today’s Action Alert is focused solely on the work that will be done later today in the Senate Armed Services Committee. Specifically, there are two missile-defense amendments which are expected to be debated in the Committee today. They are as follows: An amendment to ensure that all 44 ground-based interceptors get deployed for the defense of the United States. The amendments are expected to be offered by Senators Mark Begich (D-AK) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL). The Administration’s budget, which cuts missile defense by $1.2 billion, also limits the number of interceptors we are deploying in Alaska and California to defend our country. This means fewer interceptors to defend the American people against the North Korean and Iranian threats as well as the possibility of an accidental or unauthorized launch by the Chinese or Russians. The Annual Report on the Military Power of the People’s Republic of China has warned again this year that the Chinese strategic missile force modernization poses a risk for an unauthorized or accidental ballistic missile launch. As I’ve noted in prior Alerts, it makes no sense whatsoever why the Obama administration and some in Congress want to reduce our country’s protection at a time of such instability in the world, in particular regarding recent actions by North Korea and Iran. An amendment is also expected to be offered to ensure that the proposed Third Site for Missile Defense in Europe be capable of defending the U.S. as well as our European allies. There is the possibility that the Administration may attempt to cancel the deployments to Poland and the Czech Republic (both allies of the U.S. who have deployed forces to Afghanistan and Iraq) in order to buy a “reset” with the Russians. We want to be sure that a system is built which is capable of defending both Europe and the U.S. According to the Congressional Budget Office, only the Polish and Czech deployments can do that. Please take a moment TODAY to CALL the following Senators who serve on the SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: SENATOR KAY HAGAN (D-NC) 202-224-6342 SENATOR EVAN BAYH (D-IN) 202-224-5623 SENATOR BEN NELSON (D-NE) 202-224-6551 SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME) 202-224-2523 SENATOR DANIEL AKAKA (D-HI) 202-224-6361 SENATOR MARK UDALL (D-CO) 202-224-5941 POLITELY EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS THAT: The Senator support the amendments expected to be introduced by Senators Begich and Sessions to ensure that all 44 ground-based interceptors get deployed for the defense of the United States. The Senator support any amendments offered to ensure that the proposed Third Site for Missile Defense in Europe be capable of defending the U.S. as well as our European allies. The Senator support any amendments to restore cuts to the missile defense and fully fund our nation’s missile defense program. The threat from Iran and North Korea is real and imminent. The need for America to defend her people hasn’t changed and it is our elected officials’ responsibility to keep us safe. REMEMBER, YOUR VOICE COUNTS! IF EACH OF US DOES JUST A LITTLE, TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH A LOT! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACT for America P.O. Box 12765 Pensacola, FL 32591 http://www.actforamerica.org/ ACT for America is an issues advocacy organization dedicated to effectively organizing and mobilizing the most powerful grassroots citizen action network in America, a grassroots network committed to informed and coordinated civic action that will lead to public policies that promote America’s national security and the defense of American democratic values against the assault of radical Islam. We are only as strong as our supporters, and your volunteer and financial support is essential to our success. Thank you for helping us make America safer and more secure. 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